Gardening with Ms. Palo's class

Comments written by one of the students:
"When I compost I take all of the dead weeds, veggies, fungus, twigs and leaves throw that into my dark brown compost bin. I think composting can really help our land and environment stay clean and safe. That's why think composting can totally help our community, environment and whole WORLD stay nice and clean."

In class we discussed what goes into the compost bin, what decomposing means and the names of some of the decomposers. They then looked at the worm bin to identify the decomposers. The red wriggler worms were most plentiful.

In the butterfly garden they spotted a green caterpillar seen below on a nasturtium flower. They also planted tomato and lettuce seeds in a seedling tray. Finally, they snacked on broccoli with ranch dressing.

A green caterpillar is on a nasturtium in the butterfly garden.

The kids are investigating red wriggler worms from the worm bin.

Ms. Gardner's class composts and plants

Today the garden lesson on composting reinforced what the children are studying in science-the role of decomposers. We covered the browns which add carbon-leaves, paper, small branches and greens which add nitrogen to the compost-kitchen veggie and fruit scraps, coffee grounds and tea bags. We have a compost bin and a worm bin in the garden. The kids are most interested in the red wriggler worms in the worm bin. We'll add the worm castings to the garden soil.

We discussed that we garden organically and do not use chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

After the lesson the kids planted spinach, kale, broccoli and pansy seeds. They also fertilized the soil with organic fertilizer.

Today's tasting featured broccoli with ranch dressing.

Planting kale

A close up view of some red wrigglers from the worm bin

Gardening with Ms. Smith's 5th graders

This week Ms. Smith's class visited the lower garden and also started their study of Thomas Jefferson's garden.  In California we are lucky to be able to grow vegetables year round. We discussed that we are now planting cool season vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli, kale, radishes, beets, cabbage, cauliflower and peas. (Tomatoes are a warm season veggie.)

Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd president, retired to his plantation at Monticello, VA in 1809.  His vegetable garden there is 1,000 feet long. We discussed that Jefferson was a horticulturist and seed saver. I demonstrated how I am saving seeds and explained that we will do that at school. We are planting heirloom seeds that come from the 19th century. We discussed that heirlooms are something that has been passed down from prior generations and this is what's happened to the seeds that I purchased from the Monticello store.  We discussed that growing your own vegetables or buying them at the farmers' market can lead to more variety. I showed them red and yellow beets. At first some kids thought these were radishes and indeed they look like big radishes. This class is planting early Siberian kale. I also introduced the kids to worm composting and they enjoyed investigating the worms that are eating vegetable and fruit scraps. The kids enjoyed tasting mint and chives from the butterfly garden!

Stories about the garden

"I learned a lot of stuff in the edible garden. I learned that broccoli must be picked in a certain time or else it will sprout flowers, but you can still eat the flowers. The soil must be nutritious or else the plant will not grow. Compost helps plants grow. Some flowers are edible and some are not." Kai

"In the Marquez edible garden I learned a lot of stuff. I learned how to transplant seedlings into the flower beds." Toby

"This year we learned about how to take care of an edible garden. We learned about many things like the following: broccoli, carrots, radish, tomatoes, marigolds and borage. My favorite things are the fuzzy caterpillars and looking for grubs." Elula

"I learned a lot about our Marquez edible garden. I learned a lot about composting. I compost with worms. You put greens and browns into a bin." Chiara

"When I go to the edible garden, I learned a lot about planting vegetables. I learned a lot about flowers and worms. I also learned that the soil has nutrients that help the flowers grow. I learned how compost helps the earth. I learned about different flowers. My favorite activity down at the garden is tasting the vegetables." Samantha

"This is what I learned at the Marquez edible garden. We made a compost bin. Our compost bin had worms in it. We also planted seeds. It was fun. We dug for grubs. It was fun. They had 10 legs. My favorite thing at the garden was digging for grubs. We also ate broccoli. We wasted the broccoli first." Calvin

Room 5 and 7 Kindergarteners in the Garden on April 2

Kindergarten rooms 5 and 7:

We took this bunch to the lower yard garden.

Students checked on and composted more waste, courtesy of Eleanor Lee, three bags worth of scraps!  Our earthworms love these gifts! Students also worked in teams to water the garden, dig for grubs and work in their journals.  A small team helped weed a bed and collect seeds from broccoli rapini to make room for more seedlings.  We will save these seeds for planting next season. Per request, students noshed on peas before heading back to class.

Ms. Gardner's class starts gardening

Today Ms. Gardner's class started gardening. They were enthusiastic learners! We discussed composting: what does into the compost (greens, browns), what else is needed (air and water), what decomposers do the work (they volunteered names of decomposers that they had learned in science-earthworms, fungi, bacteria, pill bugs), that heat is generated by the decomposing process and that the outcome is humus which we add to soil to enrich it.

The kids then had the choice of two jobs: adding greens to the compost bin or weeding an area where the fourth graders are planting seeds of our state flower, the California poppy.  They tore the greens into small pieces so they will break down easier. They all should recognize what the poppy looks like since one is blooming in the bed.

Finally, they looked at the earthworms and bugs in the sample of compost which I brought from home. At the end of the morning, some kids added my compost and worms to the 4th grade bin.

It would be great if fourth graders could bring items for the compost bin on the days that they garden. They know what they can bring: vegie and fruit scraps, coffee filters, coffee grounds, tea bags, paper towels, newspaper. I forgot to mention egg shells to them, but they can bring those as well. When adding to the bin, we need to keep an equal balance of greens and browns and keep the bin moist.

Kindergarteners are busy learning about composting and planting on March

On March 12 kindergarteners in Rooms 5 and 7 showed up with a terrific amount of food waste brought in from home!  We examined worms at work in our compost bin and set up another new home for more to come (hopefully) with greens and browns.  We also planted clovers to take home for St Patrick's Day with parent volunteer, Jenny Lee.

On March 13, Rooms 1 and 2 did the same regarding composting, garden journals, and planting seeds with parent volunteers Elsa Wolthausen and Laura Salinas. Grandpa Lenny helps often.

In prior gardening times, these kindergartners have also spent time prepping and watering beds in the lower yard; working in their garden journals; harvesting and tasting arugula from the upper yard; making seed bombs; learning about composting.

Ms. Abrams class starts composting

We worked with Ms. Abrams class on March 11. We discussed decomposers (which they had studied in science), composting, and what vegetables we will start growing in the raised beds.  The kids had a good grasp of the types of decomposers and enjoyed looking at the worms and pill bugs in the compost which I brought from home. They learned what goes into a compost bin and the started putting greens and browns in one of them.

In addition some kids prepared areas for planting.  One area has a California poppy and we reviewed that this is the state flower and that it was used by local Indians.  The most exciting thing was the discovery of a strange bug in one of the raised beds. It was a Jerusalem cricket.

Eating kale chips, measuring and composting

February 6 and 13

This month we've focused on eating, measuring and composting. After our earlier success with broccoli, parent Sara Houghton prepared kale chips using some of our school-grown kale and some purchased kale. They were a big hit with the kids!


Kale chip recipe

Wash leaves well, pat, spin or air dry well. Remove most of center ribs and stems. Chop into bite-sized (1") pieces and place in a bowl. Toss with 2 T. olive oil, throw on sea salt.  Lay evenly on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until they are dark green and crunchy.


Sara also did some measuring activities with one of the beds eg. 1/2, 1/3, 1/4. We're trying to reinforce some concepts that the kids will be tested on, using a"real world" situations.

February 20

This week we did whole class lessons on composting inside the classrooms. I read "Garbage Helps Your Garden Grow" and excerpts from "Compost Critters". (Another good book is "Composting, Nature's Recyclers"). I also brought some compost from my home compost bin.  The kids enjoyed looking at the organic material in different stages of composition and also seeing the pill bugs and earthworms.  These are just two of the decomposers that help the greens and browns in the bin decay. When the compost is decomposed it becomes dark-brown humus. It is then ready to put around plants. The kids wrote in their garden journals after the lesson.

Vocabulary:
decomposers: creatures that break down organic matter and eat them,
decompose: to rot or break down,
earthworms
humus: the decomposed compost,
pill bugs
worm castings: the waste from the earthworms, the basis of humus and very high in minerals. (You can purchase bags of worm castings at nurseries to use as soil amendment).

The kids will probably remember that rot and decompose are synonyms.

At school we have both compost bins and worm composting bins which we will start using in earnest.

kale

earthworms at work

Note: If you wish to start composting at home, you can try vermiculture or use a compost bin. Vermiculture involves feeding kitchen waste (what the kids know as greens) to red wriggler worms. The waste from the worms, worm castings, are a high-quality soil amendment. Worm bins can be made or purchased. The LA City Dept of Sanitation sells worm bins and composting bins at Griffith Park.  http://www.lacitysan.org/solid_resources/recycling/composting/bin_sales_events.htm. In addition, you can make them yourself. A later blog will describe this.

More Broccoli!

The lesson on January 30 focused on the broccoli bed and the worm bin.  The kids also amended one of the beds for future planting and planted nasturtium seeds.

As we did the week before with the other half of each class, some kids measured the perimeter of the bed and the height of the plants and we all looked at the broccoli plants. Some plants still had green florets or buds, others had yellow flowers and some flowers had fallen off. We picked some green florets from a couple of plants to extend the production. This week several happy bees were visiting the flowers. The kids learned that they can eat all parts of the plant-the stem, leaves, florets and flowers. Today we served them parts of stems, flowers and florets. The flowers were very popular!

I had brought some worms from my compost bin to add to our worm bin. Several kids enjoyed counting them and naming them! Other kids added greens and browns to the bin and tore them into small pieces. At the end of the morning, the kids added the worms and water to the bin. The bin needs to be kept moist, like a damp sponge, so things decompose and so the worms don't dry out.

If you want your own worm bin, you can make one from a plastic Rubbermaid-type container, or purchase one from LA City Department of Sanitation at their compost sales events held in Griffith Park. There are two in February. http://www.lacitysan.org/solid_resources/recycling/composting/bin_sales_events.html Composting is an easy way to recycle your kitchen waste and a good learning opportunity for the kids. In addition, you can add compost to the garden to improve your soil.

We amended an empty bed with compost from Whole Foods. Raised beds need to have the soil amended annually to add nutrients to the soil. The kids have taken out most of the grubs that were in the bed. As the kids should be able to tell you, grubs eat the roots of plants.

Today's journal activity: the kids copied a drawing of a broccoli plant and labeled the parts, they wrote the word broccoli and at least one sentence about what we did in the garden.

The kids had several opportunities to taste broccoli today thanks to my shopping trip to Vons. The kids act like broccoli is candy! They love it! Note to parents: serve broccoli as a snack, with or without ranch dressing, depending on your child's taste. Even better, buy a plant or two at the local nursery and grow your own. Then you can eat the yellow flowers as well as the green flowerets! You can use the flowers in salads just like you can use nasturtiums and pansies.  Also, steam or saute all of the parts of the broccoli.

Please let me know if any of you would wish to help purchase some vegetables for next month's tasting. One goal is to have the kids sample every type of vegetable that we are growing and we don't have enough of our own to do this.

Thanks again to our parent volunteers, the teachers for sharing their kids and of course, the kids! They are enthusiastic workers!

Sincerely,

"Ms. Marie" harty3@gmail.com

Learning about Broccoli--and Eating It!

This week and next the second graders are learning about broccoli through math, science, language arts and eating!  Most of the broccoli plants planted by a local boy scout have flowered and it is time to harvest them. They should have been harvested when the head was firm and tight and before they flowered. fyi, when the sprouts start to flower, the plant will stop sprouting. At least we have two plants that aren't flowering yet!

The highlight of the morning seemed to be eating the broccoli which I purchased at Von's. We don't have enough for all second graders to eat what's in our garden.  The kids had three opportunities to eat the broccoli, with or without ranch dressing. Several kids also ate some of the yellow flowers from our garden.

The math lessons: we all stood around the broccoli bed and counted the plants: "There are 20 broccoli plants".  Each class had a team that measured the perimeter of the bed and the height of the tallest and shortest plants.  The tallest broccoli plant is either 25" or 23 1/2 " depending on the group that measured. The shortest broccoli plant is 3". They all should know what perimeter is by now!

The science lesson: I drew the parts of the broccoli plant and labeled them.  We discussed the parts of the plant and that the stem, leaves, florets and flowers are all edible.

Language arts: the children write in their journals every week, recording what I write on the chart. I use the language experience approach and write down the sentences which they give me.

Some children also dug for grubs in one of the empty beds and others added greens and browns to start a new compost bin.  I think we'll be able to prepare the soil for planting as only five grubs were found!

Thanks to the parent volunteers, Ashley and Mr. Alex for their help!

If anyone wishes a good book about composting, Wen-Chia Parker, a Master Gardener and parent at Beethoven, has written a cute book, "Kids Can Compost". I have a copy to share and the second grade also has a copy. The book costs $10.

Early December in the Garden

The second graders are continuing to learn and to work hard in the garden.   The last two weeks they learned about composting, continued to hunt for grubs, weeded and planted some seeds in seed trays. Some of the seeds which they planted earlier in the ground and in seed trays have germinated.

We used "Kids Can Compost" by Wenchia Parker as a resource. I have two copies if anyone wants to borrow them. The book is also available online at kidscancompost.com.  The kids learned that compost contains greens and browns and that it's food for the soil. Compost needs: greens, browns, air, heat and water.  Greens are fruits, vegetables, bread, rice, pasta, coffee grounds and tea leaves. Browns are leaves, newspaper, paper towels, wood chips, grass clippings and cardboard pieces. We have a small compost container in the garden and will continue to have the kids compost by tearing the greens and browns in small pieces.

We are almost ready to plant in two more beds that have been "degrubbed" by the kids. The grubs would eat the roots of the plants, thus we need to remove them. They are being fed to Sara Houghton's chickens.

Tips for those who took home some seeds: cover the container with plastic to keep the seeds warmer and keep them moist. When the seeds germinate, i.e. you can see the green stems and leaves appear, take off the plastic.

This is what they did, in their own words: Jake: We dug up the dirt to find grubs; Alexandra: My friends and I made compost; Elula: We broke things into small pieces. We planted round carrots. Angie: We dug up dirt to find grubs and we pulled out roots. Others: We planted lettuce. We planted arugula.

We are keeping the garden open at recess as much as possible. We post a sign-in sheet at the gate. On Wednesday, 55 kids came to the garden between the two recesses! We are open for kids of any grades and have had several first, third and fourth graders visit.

Plans for the garden include: transplanting seedlings into the ground; working on the butterfly garden in the center circle. (We have planted butterfly bushes and milkweed.  The first graders will plant wildflower seeds there soon); red trumpet vines along the fence bordering Marquez Avenue; planting of all the remaining beds with cool season vegetables and herbs; creating a birdbath; composting in a worm bin; and shortening the wooden supports for the bed covers. We plan to expand to other grades after the winter break.

Note to parents: it's not too late to plant lettuce and radish seeds at home with your young gardeners. You can plant in the ground, in containers or in small pots by your kitchen window.

Some good books to read with the kids: Kids Can Compost; Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots; Rah, Rah, Radish.

Sara and I welcome volunteer parents to help with the kids, to help water over vacation, and do some manual chores e.g. shortening of bed supports.

The kids are very enthusiastic workers!