Watch me grow

When you have children, teaching them to grow their own food is a wonderful thing, as we’ve seen previously in a post from from guest blogger Richard Chivers! Luckily, there are many suitable plants for kids to grow into delicious veg. Read on to find out more…

Today’s guest blogger is Gemma Hall. Gemma writes as Mummy’s Waisted at www.mummyswaisted.co.uk and is an Ambassador for the Watch Me Grow initiative. 

Like many parents, I know that my kids don’t eat enough fruit and vegetables, and probably I don’t either. I’ve tried a lot of things to get them to eat more – bribery, hiding them in recipes and making funny faces on the plate, but alas not much has helped.

I was really excited to discover the Watch Me Grow initiative, whose aim is to encourage children to get outside, grow fruit and veg, and hopefully want to eat them afterwards!

The founder of the initiative is Sally Evans, who already has a very busy schedule working full time, running online businesses and looking after her daughter. She explains why she has set it up –

An idea grown from the sunshine, cookery programs, and the realisation that a LOT of children are reluctant to try or eat fruit and veg. We’re hoping we can generate national interest, and get children all over the UK to plant seeds, grow fruit and veg and hopefully begin to eat more!

Now is the perfect time to get organised, ready for seed planting in the next month or so. And as parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, godparents and anybody else with children in their lives, we can enjoy seeing these little people learning new experiences, gaining confidence and developing skills for life. Watch them learn.

Here’s some easy fruit and vegetables that you can grow with your children, even if you don’t have much space:

Plants for kids: Sunflowers

These are such a happy positive flower to grow and they are great for encouraging birds in the autumn and winter to feed on the seeds. Start them off indoors if it’s still frosty outside, otherwise grow them in well-draining soil with at least six inches in between. Support canes may be required if they get very tall!

Plants for kids: Carrots

They are many different colours of carrots to choose from these days, plus varying sizes. All varieties should be grow in loose soil, which should be watered frequently. Carrots can be grown in containers indoors and work really well in raised beds.

Plants for kids: Radishes

Radishes are also brilliant for growing in small containers and need moist and fertile soil. Radishes are quick growers, so you should see them after just a month.

Plants for kids: Tomatoes

Tomatoes are perfect for growing on a windowsill, or outside in a hanging basket is fun. The best varieties for indoor growing are the dwarf ones, like cherry tomatoes.

Plants for kids: Herbs

Growing herbs in individual pots on your windowsill is a great introduction for kids, as they grow quickly and take on interesting shapes and flavours!

Why not grow tomatoes and herbs and make your own fresh pizzas with your children? Getting them involved in cooking is a sure-fire way to encourage tasting!

You can find Watch Me Grow on Facebook and Twitter.