School Garden Update

On Monday, September 15^th, the team from the Erskine PTO and Eat Local helped Mrs. Shauten’s first graders start a fall garden in the Erskine school garden. The children pulled the dead plants and weeds from the soil. They discovered that several radish plants had gone to seed. They pulled the radishes, and harvested their seed pods. The radish seeds will be dried and saved to be replanted in the spring. The children used hand trowels to loosen the soil. They discovered the creatures living in the garden, including spiders, grubs, worms, and insects. They created a plants-only compost heap, and marked it with a sign next to the garden. Finally, the children each planted three spinach seeds making a total of three rows. The class will watch the growth of the spinach and when it’s ready, they’ll harvest the fall crop and enjoy a healthy feast.

Third graders in Mrs. Odgers’ class planted a fall crop in the butterfly garden. The children learned how to prevent erosion on slopes and how to enrich the soil with a “green manure” crop, winter rye. In the spring, the rye will be cut, and the roots will be permitted to rot into the soil, adding vital organic matter to the sunny butterfly garden. The children discovered new caterpillars munching on parsley. They released milkweed seeds into the wind, and they observed other garden residents, such as spiders, birds, and ants.