One challenge of having a school garden in the Northeast is that most of the growing season takes place when students are not in school. In Norwich, we are fortunate to have extended learning programs that take place during the summer, so that students can have the full benefits of our school gardens. That being said, there is so much to do and see in the garden during the fall while school is in session. The main activities taking place in the garden now are planting, seed saving, and harvesting.
Planting
It’s not too late to start another round of cabbage, broccoli, kale, collard greens, turnips, snow peas, lettuce and spinach. These crops thrive in the cooler days of autumn. Leaf vegetables like lettuce, spinach and kale are less likely to bolt and develop an unpleasant taste. Cabbage heads are less likely to split during the cooler weather. Many vegetables taste sweeter when grown during the cool season! Sugar water freezes at a lower temperature than plain water, and crops that are adapted to cool conditions such as lettuce and kale will produce more sugars in their sap in response to cool temperatures, to preserve themselves from freezing.
A young broccoli plant that has grown from a seed planted two weeks ago in the Kelly Middle School garden.
Our fall planting of spinach is coming along nicely.
Seed Saving
In the fall, seeds mature from summer crops that have been allowed to go to seed. Seed saving is the process of selecting your best fruit and vegetable specimens, and collecting their seeds to plant next year. Over time, this process produces cultivars of fruits and vegetables adapted to local conditions. It also is frugal and sustainable. Many resources on seed saving are available (I’ve linked to one of my favorites below), and most crops are easy to save seed from once you know how to.
Its hard to believe that these seed pods grew from a head of lettuce. Lettuce seeds are dispersed by wind, hence their fluffy white “parachutes” that catch the breeze.
Opening up a seed pod reveals the tiny seeds inside, each capable of growing into a new lettuce plant, that can produce hundreds more seeds.
Marigolds are also a prolific seed producer. Each flower will form a seed pods with dozens of seeds inside.
Over ripe tomatoes are no good to eat, but are perfect for saving seeds from. Remove the skins from the tomatoes, mash them, and place them in a strainer. Then rinse away the pulp, and dry the seeds on a paper towel.
An excellent resource for saving seeds in school gardens is available for free online. Here is the link:
A Handful of Seeds: Seed-Saving and Seed Study for Educators – lessons linked to California educational standards, practical information on seed saving for school gardens, and history/lore
Harvesting
One of the best parts of fall gardening is harvesting and tasting the abundant ripe fruits and vegetables. This afternoon, Kelly Middle School students tried watermelon from the garden with their lunch! The garden is also still producing loads of tomatoes, beans, peppers, cucumbers, okra, cabbage and zucchini.
When a watermelon is ripe, the underside will turn from green or white to yellow or cream.
Another way to tell if a watermelon is ready to pick is to look at the tendril nearest the fruit. It will wither up and turn brown when the melon is ripe.
ISS teacher Mr. Satt poses with the first watermelon harvested from the Kelly Middle School garden.
And the watermelon was cut up!
A bounteous harvest of watermelon, with more still ripening in the field. The big watermelon in this picture weighed 21 pounds! The little melons are a mini variety called sugar baby.
Thrive4Life 