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Planning a School Garden

So you want to start a school garden? There’s a couple key things that you want to keep in mind:

  1. Set up a garden committee of interested teachers, principals, parents, or community members who will actively participate in the garden. It is good to include members who have some vegetable gardening experience. In addition, contact your local extension service to find out if master gardeners can support your project. This might be a good time to visit other school gardens and hear about the successes and challenges that exist.

  2. Figure out where the water will come from. Ask the property manager or maintenance person where a hose can be hooked up. This will likely dictate where you can most easily grow your garden. Make sure this area is in a safe location, away from traffic and other dangers. Gardens on asphalt can work, but require more attention due to the intense heat radiating from the pavement.

  3. Determine if this location gets adequate sunlight for growing vegetables. You will need at least 6 hours of direct sun for several months to get good yields from your plants. Look up to see if any trees are overhead. If it is winter, you will need to assess where the shade may be cast by these trees when their canopies are full. Also note where building walls are in relation to the garden. Will these block your southern sunlight?

  4. Typically, schools find it easier to use raised garden beds as opposed to planting in the ground. The latter requires more work to cultivate the soil and keep weeds at bay. If you choose to garden in-ground, get a soil test to determine what needs to be added to grow vegetables, or if lead will be a problem, http://soilplantlab.missouri.edu/soil/

  5. Plan for year-round operations. Remember that summer is hot and garden plants will need to be watered and maintained. If you want tomatoes, watermelons, and cucumbers, these will be grown during the summer break. Is there a summer school program or garden club that can maintain these plants? Or will volunteers or teachers spend time during the summer maintaining the beds?

  6. Design curriculum opportunities early. During committee meetings, it might be a good idea to create a sub-committee specifically for curriculum integration. Check the state testing standards to develop ways of incorporating these into garden-based lessons. Contact Gateway Greening for resources to design curricula for your garden project.

  7. Search for ways to include the produce grown in the garden into student lunches, snacks, or to take home. This will also help in planning what kinds of crops will be grown.

  8. Get the students involved. While it may not be appropriate to have them at committee meetings, include lessons early to get the students excited about the garden. One of the best ways to include them is by having a garden design contest, where the winning design will be implemented. Numerous opportunities exist to integrate math, science, and literature into the garden planning stages as well.

  9. Start early. The time to plan a garden is during the cold months. If the idea is to have students eating lettuce by the time they get out for summer break, you will need to get the seeds into the soil by early spring.

  10. Contact Gateway Greening for ideas or questions. We have resources available and experience in developing school gardens. In addition, stay up-to-date with our website and social media sites for our Youth Garden Grant opportunities.

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