“Half-Term Gardening: Easy Plants Kids Will Love Growing”

Half-term is a great time to get children growing all kinds of plants.  From tiny, quick growing cress to giant pumpkins they can harvest for Halloween, these high-reward activities are perfect for inspiring little people to try something new.  Encouraging children to appreciate plants and gardening can provide them with a lifelong healthy hobby.  

Why gardening is perfect for half-term:

There are many benefits of gardening for children - it’s affordable and accessible - you don’t need a big garden as windowsills, balconies and patio pots all work well too.  As well as boosting creativity, gardening also encourages responsibility, as plants need watering, plus it’s always fun to watch for growth.  Gardening supports wellbeing with fresh air, gentle movement and time spent outdoors which can help to reduce stress.  May half-term is perfect for kids to start gardening as the weather is warming up, seeds germinate quickly and will soon turn into plants that will grow surprisingly quickly. 

Research indicates that children who engage in gardening tend to excel academically and many will cultivate a stronger interest in nutritious eating if they have the opportunity to grow their own vegetables. Below are some suggested fun projects for kids during this May half-term. 

Make cress heads:   

You will need: Eggshells, cress seeds, cotton wool (balls or roll, not pads), egg box or egg cups, pens for decorating. 

Method: Prepare your eggshells by carefully using a blunt knife to remove only the top third of the shell.  Empty the eggs into a bowl - they can be used to make something delicious such as an omelette or some scrambled eggs. Rinse the eggshell and allow it to dry.

Decorate the eggshells with funny faces and leave them to dry and then put them into either an egg box or egg cups.

Moisten your cotton wool, squeeze out any excess water and insert the damp cotton into the eggshell. (You can use peat-free multipurpose compost instead of cotton wool if you don’t have any.) 

Sprinkle a generous amount of cress seeds onto the damp cotton wool.

Put the eggshells in a warm, well-lit area, such as a windowsill.

Cress seeds can sprout within a few days and should reach a suitable length for harvesting in 7-14 days.

This activity is also effective with microgreens and soft herb seeds.

Easy pumpkin growing for kids: 

Growing pumpkins is an easy and fun task – all they need is a warm, sunny spot, ample water, and protection from chilly winds. By the time autumn arrives, you'll have bright pumpkins ready to be transformed into Halloween decorations.  

You can plant pumpkin seeds outside in late May or early June, once the last frost has passed. Dig each hole about 30cm (1ft) wide and deep, and fill it with a mix of soil and organic matter, like homemade compost.   

Place two or three seeds in each prepared hole, about 2.5cm (1in) deep, and cover them up with your soil mix.

If more than one seedling grows in each spot, take out the weaker ones so that only the strongest one remains. Put a nice thick layer of mulch (a material such as decaying leaves, bark or compost) around your plants. This will help keep the moisture in so you don't have to water as much. Just remember to leave a little space around the bottom of the plant stems to keep them dry, so it doesn't get all soggy and rot.  

You can also grow compact pumpkin varieties in growing bags or large containers. Plant one or two seeds in each growing bag or just one in a container that is at least 45cm (18in) wide, filled with peat-free multi-purpose. Make sure there is enough space around the container for good air circulation and to let the plants spread out. 

Pumpkins really love water, especially when they are growing their fruit. To make it easier to water them, you can put a 15cm (6in) plant pot into the ground next to each pumpkin plant and then pour the water into that pot so that the water reaches the roots where it's needed. It’s best to water them early in the morning or in the evening on hot days to help reduce evaporation.

Put a tile, brick, or a piece of wood under your growing fruits to keep them away from wet soil, which might make them rot. They will need plenty of sunshine to help them ripen – you can take off a few leaves if you need to ensure sufficient light. 

If you want to grow big fruits, try to keep only two or three on each plant, and for giant pumpkins, just leave one.  Remove any extra flowers or fruits and your plants will focus on making the remaining fruit bigger.

If you have lots of space, pumpkin plants can spread out on the ground, but if you want to keep them in a smaller area, you can guide the stems to grow in a big circle, using short sticks to keep them steady. You can also just trim any stems that go too far.

When the pumpkins have grown in the autumn, cut them off the plants, leaving about 10cm (4in) of stem attached. If you cut too close to the pumpkin, it can create a soft spot that might rot.

Carve and decorate your pumpkins and have a very happy Halloween!

Carrots in containers:

Crunchy and delicious, carrots are easy to grow in containers and the best thing is that you aren't limited to just the orange ones found in shops. Carrots can be yellow, red, white, and even purple!  Most carrots can be sown from late March to early July, so you have plenty of time to grow some in a few pots! 

You will need: a packet of carrot seeds, a pot or container at least 35 - 45cm deep, multi-purpose compost.

Fill your container with compost, leaving 2 - 3cms of space at the top of the pot.  

Carefully sprinkle your carrot seeds over the compost surface as evenly as you can and cover them with 1cm of compost.  Water them gently - you can use a watering can with a fine nozzle or a spray bottle set to a fine mist.  

If the seeds are too close together when they start to grow, gently pull some out so that the remaining seedlings are spaced 5–7.5cm (2–3in) apart.  (This process is called thinning out.)  

As your carrots grow, you will see lots of soft green leaves - be careful not to crush them because the smell will attract carrot flies!

Harvesting carrots is really easy. They should be ready 12 - 16 weeks after sowing the seeds.  The carrot tops stay above the soil while the rest is buried underground. When they are ready to be pulled up, make sure that the soil is moist.  It's a good idea to water the soil beforehand to make it loose for easier pulling of the carrots. If the soil is dry, your carrots could easily break as you try to pull them up. 

Try growing some other flowers and vegetables: 

There are plenty of other easy plants for children to grow but this blog would be far too long if we listed them all here.  You could try spinach, herbs or even grow your own giant sunflowers.  

Our huge seed department has lots of beautiful flowers and tasty vegetables to grow.  Each seed packet will tell you exactly how to sow and look after them as they grow.  If you need any help, you can also contact us online or on the telephone and our friendly staff will answer any questions you may have.  

Happy growing!  

PS. Runner beans are also great fun - they grow superfast, the flowers look very pretty and before long you will have loads of tasty runner beans.