Quick Crops for Term Time
Much has been written about getting children growing crops at school. One of the problems is that some vegetables take a long time to grow and need harvesting in the school summer holiday period but there are many crops that can be grown successfully in term time. Here are a few ideas…
Cress
Cress is the very first crop I ever grew and a classic primary school growing project. It can be grown very easily all year round indoors. Cress seeds are inexpensive, it is ready to harvest about two weeks after sowing and can even be grown without soil or compost!
Sow cress seeds in a tray or pot of damp compost, reused fruit or mushroom punnets are ideal. Sprinkle the seeds quite generously on the surface and keep in a light, warm place. Ensure the soil stays moist. Keeping your pots or trays under clingfilm or in a clear plastic bag will help retain moisture but is not essential.
After about three days the seeds will germinate. Continue to keep the compost moist. When the seedlings are about 4cms to 5cms tall they are ready to harvest by cutting with scissors. Excellent in an egg, cress and mayonnaise sandwich.
To grow without soil or compost, use a folded piece of kitchen paper (it was blotting paper when I did it but I don’t think that exists now!) a layer of cotton wool or a piece of cloth in your pot or tray instead of the compost. Kitchen paper can dry out quite quickly so check that it’s moist every day. Otherwise the process is the same as above.
Cress is not hardy but can be grown outside from late spring until early autumn.
Radish
Another quick grower is the summer or salad radish. There are many varieties that can give an interesting crop. We are all familiar with the classic round red ones that we usually see in the shops, but they come in many other colours too, including white, yellow, orange and purple. Try a rainbow mix for a good variety.
Radish are best sown outdoors from March until September. They do not do well when the weather is very hot so mid-summer sowings are best done in a shady area. Favouring the spring and early autumn makes them particular suitable for growing in term time.
Sow seeds thinly in drills about 1.5cms deep. Water well and keep moist as they grow. Radish seeds usually germinate in about a week and are ready to harvest in four to six weeks. They are best harvest when they are small and fresh as they soon become tough. Sow in succession every ten days or so for a continuous crop.
Radish can also be sown thinly in large pots outside. Remember that pots can dry out quickly in sunny weather so regular watering may be necessary.
Broad beans
Broad beans are slower growers but still work well with school term times. They take about fifteen weeks from sowing to harvesting so seeds sown early in February should be ready to harvest by about mid-May and a sowing in mid-April will be ready to harvest before the summer holiday begins towards the end of July.
Broad beans are quite hardy so they can be sown outside from late winter. The big seeds make them easy for small children to handle. They can be sown direct into the garden or started in small pots in a greenhouse, cold frame, conservatory or any sheltered spot. Those started in pots are best planted out before they get too tall, ideally when two or three pairs of leaves have formed.
Broad beans can also be grown to maturity in large pots. The Sutton is a good variety for this method, they are a dwarf variety that produces a good crop.
Other interesting broad beans varieties include Epicure and Karmazyn which produce red beans and Crimson Flowered which, as the name suggests, bears a pretty crimson flower that works well in a cottage garden as well a vegetable patch.
There is a lot more information on our how to grow broad beans page.
Beetroot
Beetroot is another vegetable that is quite easy to grow. They will germinate in temperatures as low as 10 degrees Celsius so can be sown in early spring and taking as little as six to eight weeks to reach a useable size seeds sown in early March should be ready to harvest around the end May. In cooler areas it is helpful to warm the soil under cloches if these are available. Sowing in small pots in a greenhouse, cold frame or even on a window sill for planting out later is also an option.
Like radish, beetroot are available in various colours, the traditional purple-red, bright red, orange and yellow. There’s also a candy-striped variety called Choiggia so they’re interesting to grow and on look good on the plate.
Sow seeds thinly in drills about 2cms deep. The large seeds are quite easy to handle so I try to sow at about 3cms apart. Cover with soil and water well. Allow 30cms between rows. Germination takes a week or two depending on conditions.
Keep the beetroot seedlings watered as they grow. Thin out to about 10cms between plants to allow the beetroot to reach tennis ball before harvesting. Alternatively harvest some roots as they reach golf ball size and leave some to grow larger. As long as the seeds haven’t been sown too thickly the roots will push each other aside to make room for themselves.
Onions, shallots and garlic
Maincrop onions need a long growing season, especially if grown from seed, and they tend to reach maturity in the summer holiday period so onions might not seem an obvious choice for growing in school. Over-wintering varieties grown from sets planted in autumn need very little attention over the winter and will be ready to harvest by June so they are worth considering. Once planted overwintering onions will establish roots and sprout leaves quite quickly in the warm soil. They will continue to grow more slowly through the winter. In spring growth will speed up again with the bulbs being ready to harvest when the leaves begin to die, usually around the end of May or into June.
Shallots and garlic can be grown in a similar way over the same period so are well worth considering too.
Find out more about how to grow onions here.
There’s more about how to grow garlic here.