Adapting Common Garden Tasks
Author: Sarah Pounders
Learning how to maintain a healthy garden provides a
number of educational benefits for students with special needs. The
daily activities draw on subject matter from core topics like science
(e.g., understanding how plants grow and what they need), math (e.g.,
correct placement of plants and measuring of water), and language arts
(ex: reading instructions and keeping journals about care). Monitoring
and caring for plants also allows students to nurture and develop a
respect for other living things. The following information defines
some of the most common garden tasks and provides ideas for optimizing
the learning experience for special needs students. (For general advice on preparing to work with this population in the garden and ideas for managing activities, please read Tips and Resources article.)
Watering
Under normal conditions, plants require about 1 inch of water per week
from rain or irrigation. You want the soil around your plant to be
moist, but not too wet (over watering can lead to a number of plant
diseases). Feeling the soil is one of the best indicators of when
it is time to water. Check soil moisture by poking a finger 1 inch
into the soil; if it’s dry, it is time to water. Apply water at
the base of the plant rather than on the leaves to decrease the possibility
of disease. Water in the early morning, in the late afternoon, or
on cloudy days to
cut potential loss by evaporation. The best time
is in the morning so that plants can dry off quickly.
A plant will also signal its need for moisture by wilting. If you
check the soil around a wilted plant and find it’s already wet, the plant might be suffering from a disease (e.g., a fungal wilt).
Let the soil dry a little and monitor the plant for a couple of days.
If the plant still looks wilted, remove it and the soil around it to
prevent the disease from spreading.
Adaptations:
- Use small watering cans. Water is heavy and can be messy to
move.
- If using a hose, use one that is lightweight and keep water
pressure to a minimum. Place stakes at corners of beds to keep
hoses from being
dragged over plants. Attach a spray nozzle to the hose to help control
flow.
- Be very careful not to flood walkways, which can lead
to slippery conditions that are especially difficult for those
with challenged
mobility.
- If hoses and watering cans prove to be difficult, install
drip irrigation. Students can still turn the irrigation on and
off and watch the water
soak into the soil without the physical challenge of moving the water.
- If
watering on a regular basis is difficult for your group, install
an automatic irrigation system to ensure healthy plant growth or
place your drip irrigation on a timer.
Thinning
It’s common to sow more seeds in a pot or bed than can grow to healthy maturity. Once seeds germinate, you need to “thin” your crop by
removing some of the seedlings so they don’t crowd each other. Although
it is never easy to pull up or cut down seedlings you’ve nurtured,
if you leave too many plants in a small space they will compete for
resources and won’t grow to their full potential.
Adaptations:
- Clearly demonstrate thinning for the students, and if possible
work with them one-on-one while they thin to make sure they don’t accidentally
remove
too many plants.
- Thinning by plucking individual
seedlings can be a challenge even for gardeners with nimble hands.
An easier method is to cut your seedlings
back to soil level with scissors. This prevents root disruption and the potential
of harming the plants you want to keep.
- Limit the number of seeds a student plants to one per pot or
spot in the garden. As a result, you may end
up with some empty spots because seeds don’t germinate, but the student
will have had the hands-on experience of sowing seed without the need to thin. (An option
is to let them sow a few seeds per pot and then do the thinning yourself.)
Weeding
What we call weeds are simply wild plants that are growing where we
don’t want them. It’s best to remove these “unintentional” plants
because they will compete with your crops for nutrients,
space, light, and water
(and weeds often win because they are so hardy!). Pull weeds by hand
or remove them by hoeing or cultivating around your plants, staying
far enough away to avoid damaging the roots of your crop plants. With
either approach, make sure the weeds' roots are completely removed.
Adaptations:
- Make weed identification cards so students can clearly identify
the weeds they need to remove.
- Demonstrate the best way to pull
the weeds before letting students
start. If possible remain with students and limit the number who
are pulling weeds to two or three students so you can provide ample
guidance.
- Try limiting weeding to one specific type of weed at a
time. Keep a sample of that weed on display and let each child
pull one sample
to match it when you first get started.
- Collect the weeds in one
bucket or bag to keep debris in the garden to a minimum.
Fertilizing
Depending on the condition of your soil, you may need to provide additional
nutrients for healthy plant growth. Common signs of plant malnutrition
include yellowing leaves and poor growth. You can add nutrients by
applying compost, organic fertilizers (e.g., fish emulsion), or synthetic
fertilizers such as slow-release pellets. You might think that if
a little bit of fertilizer will help your plant grow, a lot of fertilizer
would result in an even
better harvest, but the phrase “more is better”
doesn’t apply to fertilizer! In excess, fertilizer can contribute
to poor growth and plant diseases, and nutrients not captured by
plants and soil can cause pollution of waterways and groundwater
supplies.
Adaptations:
- Applying liquid fertilizer or slow-release pellets may be hazardous
for some students with control issues or chemical sensitivity.
Instead of adding nutrients after plants are growing, build the organic
matter
and nutrient content of your soil before planting begins.
- Worm
castings make excellent fertilizer and may be easier to distribute
than a liquid compost tea.
Mulching
Gardens benefit from the addition of two to three inches of mulch
atop the soil. The mulch helps to slow water loss from evaporation,
moderates
soil temperatures, decreases soil erosion, and decreases the spread
of soil-borne diseases. There are a number of different materials you
can use as mulch, including shredded wood, straw, plastic, and newspaper.
Adaptations:
- Make sure the mulch you choose does not inhibit movement or become
a tripping hazard.
- Demonstrate for students how to place the
mulch around plants gently so that it does not damage stems.
- Use small tools to transport and spread mulch to avoid injury to children and
plants.
- If debris in pathways could create a dangerous obstruction
to the mobility of some students, avoid mulches that can easily
float into
paths from rainwater runoff, such as cocoa shell mulch.
Insect and disease problems are easiest to control when caught early.
Monitor your plants regularly for common plant insects like aphids
and scale (small sucking insects that damage leaves, buds, and stems).
If you find them while their numbers are small, you can keep their
damage in check by using a high-pressure spray of water from a hose or by manually
removing them. Also look out for spots on leaves, which are signs of
fungal and bacterial diseases. Remove spotted leaves and throw them
away (do not place in a compost pile where pathogens may remain to
pass infection to other plants). Regular, close observation of your
plants should prevent problems from escalating.
The time to harvest varies by crop. Many lettuce and herb crops can
be harvested throughout the growing season – just leave at least
one third of the foliage so that the plant continues to grow). Root
crops such as carrots, beets, and radishes are ready to harvest when
the top of the root reaches an optimal size (carefully move soil
from the top to check). Crops producing fruits, such as tomatoes,
cucumbers, squash, and beans, are usually ready to harvest when the
fruit is approaching the right color, and softening but is still firm to the touch. Some fruits, such as cantaloupes, strawberries and peaches
produce a fragrance as they ripen. Harvest flowers for bouquets as
soon as the buds begin to open.
For more general advice on preparing to work with this population in the garden and ideas for managing activities, please read Tips
and Resources article
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© 2009
National Gardening Association