Cancer Council NSW
A vegie garden is a great way to get kids excited about fruit and vegies.
Letting your kids plant their own seeds or seedlings allows them to understand the process from paddock to plate. It's fun, cheap and will give you and your family the freshest food available.
Spring and Summer are the best months to get planting, so read our simple guide to get you on your way…
Step 1: Location, location
- Your vegie patch can be as big or as little as you would like, depending on the space you have available. Be realistic about how much you can maintain. Perhaps start small and see how you go.
- If you don't have much room select vegies and herbs that can grow in small pots. Try cherry tomatoes, spinach, basil, chives, lemongrass and even strawberries. They will thrive on the smallest balcony.
- Choose somewhere with lots of natural sunlight and rich soil with a loose, crumbly structure -digging well-rotted manure into the soil before planting will improve the area.
Step 2: Perfect planning
- Let the kids pick the vegetables so that they are excited about the project.
- Make sure they will work in your location. Different vegies need different amounts of space, sunlight and water. Some will only grow at certain times of the year in specific regions. Check the label and ask the nursery workers for help.
- Tomatoes, peas, spinach and carrots are popular as they are quite easy to grow.
- You may need some equipment (pots, stakes, fertilizer, potting mix etc.)
Step 3: Grab the kids and dig in
- Teach the kids how to plant the seeds according to the directions on the packet.
- Make the kids responsible for fertilising the plants every 2 weeks, keeping the weeds out and watering them (usually every day - moist not soggy!). Explain that they need water to survive, just like us!
Step 4: Keep trying
- Remind the kids that plants don't grow overnight and that it will take a few weeks or months of care before they are ready to eat.
- Don't be discouraged if the plants die - it happens!
Step 5: Eat up!
- Check out our huge collection of healthy recipes to turn your home grown veg into delicious meals!
It's as simple as that. Once your new vegies are ready to harvest, you'll probably be wondering what to do with them. We've got you covered- check our our recipes page for loads of fruit and veg inspired meals.
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