Growing Fruit with Children

If you don’t want to plant every year but still want to have a supply of fresh food then try growing fruit with your children. Fruit you can pick and pop into the mouth immediately is the best sort of harvest for kids.

Strawberries

Strawberries are a must for any children’s garden. They are trailing plants so work well trailing along the ground or down from pots.

Plant Out: April–May
Harvest within 12 weeks from June
Where to plant: Growbag, pot, the ground, hanging basket or strawberry pot in a sunny location.
What to sow: Plant.
Latest planting time: End of July.

You can buy plants mail order or from a garden centre in the spring. Some suppliers keep plants in a cold store and will supply up to then end of July. Buy at least 6 to achieve a satisfactory crop, many more if you want to have a good supply.

Plant 3 plants equally spaced in a growbag or individual plants in 30cm pots filled peat free multi-purpose compost. You can buy also specially designed strawberry pots or plant directly into the soil in your garden (40cms apart) in a sunny location.

Plants growing in growbags and containers will need weekly plant food after 6 weeks, whereas plants in the ground they won't.

As the fruit starts to colour, cover the plants with netting to protect from the birds. Plants crop better from the second year and in the ground rather than in containers.

Get the Children to grow Free Strawberry Plants

You can get strawberry plants for free as they spread by producing runners – new small plants. This is a great project for kids. When they find a runner keep it attached to the main plant dig a small hole in the soil under it. Place a pot with multipurpose compost in the hole. If the parent plant is in a pot then just rest the new pot on the surface of the soil. Push the new plant into the pot and secure with a paperclip. Water the pot and as soon as the plant begins to grow, usually 3 to 4 weeks, cut the runner. Your children can see that growing new plants is really that easy.

Use Strawberries: Drink as well as eat: try strawberry smoothies or milkshake.

BlueBerries

Reduce your carbon footprint by growing your own blueberrries, now a firm children’s favourite. The bush can be ordered and planted in the winter. They are prefect for growing in containers and once planted will keep growing year after year, just like your kids.

Plant Out: When it arrives.
Harvest: July/August.
Where to plant: In a large container outdoors filled with ericaceous compost.
What to plant : Bush.

You can plant blueberries almost at any time of the year from container - grown plants either ordered online or brought from you local garden centre. They grow to about 1.5metres high so you will need a large container.

The flowers are attractive white or pink bell shaped and fragrant too.
The blueberry bush also gives very good autumn and winter colour, in both leaves and stems. Have a look at the choices at Blackmoor nurseries. Blue Pearl is a late season compact blueberry with lots of fruit and perfect for growing in small spaces.

Feed from the end of April. As the fruit starts to colour, cover the plants with netting to protect from the birds.

When pruning is required it is best done in the winter. When the bush is three years old start to remove one or two of the less productive stems to ground level. Thereafter remove about a quarter of old main stems each year.

Growing Your Own Food with Children
Check out how easy it is to grow Crops in Pots with Children
Growing Vegetables with Children
Growing Cut 'n' Come Again with Children
Growing Herbs with Children – find out which herbs look, taste and smell good
Easy Grow Flower Seeds for Children – children love colourful flowers


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	Growing Fruit with Children If you don’t want to plant every year but still want to have a supply of fresh food then try growing fruit with your children. Fruit you can pick and pop into the mouth immediately is the best sort of harvest for kids. Strawberries Strawberries are a must for any children’s garden. They are trailing plants so work well trailing along the ground or down from pots. Plant Out: April–May Harvest within 12 weeks from June Where to plant: Growbag, pot, the ground, hanging basket or strawberry pot in a sunny location. What to sow: Plant. Latest planting time: End of July. You can buy plants mail order or from a garden centre in the spring. Some suppliers keep plants in a cold store and will supply up to then end of July. Buy at least 6 to achieve a satisfactory crop, many more if you want to have a good supply. Plant 3 plants equally spaced in a growbag or individual plants in 30cm pots filled peat free multi-purpose compost. You can buy also specially designed strawberry pots or plant directly into the soil in your garden (40cms apart) in a sunny location. Plants growing in growbags and containers will need weekly plant food after 6 weeks, whereas plants in the ground they won't. As the fruit starts to colour, cover the plants with netting to protect from the birds. Plants crop better from the second year and in the ground rather than in containers. Get the Children to grow Free Strawberry Plants You can get strawberry plants for free as they spread by producing runners – new small plants. This is a great project for kids. When they find a runner keep it attached to the main plant dig a small hole in the soil under it. Place a pot with multipurpose compost in the hole. If the parent plant is in a pot then just rest the new pot on the surface of the soil. Push the new plant into the pot and secure with a paperclip. Water the pot and as soon as the plant begins to grow, usually 3 to 4 weeks, cut the runner. Your children can see that growing new plants is really that easy. Use Strawberries: Drink as well as eat: try strawberry smoothies or milkshake. BlueBerries Reduce your carbon footprint by growing your own blueberrries, now a firm children’s favourite. The bush can be ordered and planted in the winter. They are prefect for growing in containers and once planted will keep growing year after year, just like your kids. Plant Out: When it arrives. Harvest: July/August. Where to plant: In a large container outdoors filled with ericaceous compost. What to plant : Bush. You can plant blueberries almost at any time of the year from container - grown plants either ordered online or brought from you local garden centre. They grow to about 1.5metres high so you will need a large container. The flowers are attractive white or pink bell shaped and fragrant too. The blueberry bush also gives very good autumn and winter colour, in both leaves and stems. Have a look at the choices at Blackmoor nurseries. Blue Pearl is a late season compact blueberry with lots of fruit and perfect for growing in small spaces. Feed from the end of April. As the fruit starts to colour, cover the plants with netting to protect from the birds. When pruning is required it is best done in the winter. When the bush is three years old start to remove one or two of the less productive stems to ground level. Thereafter remove about a quarter of old main stems each year. Growing Your Own Food with Children Check out how easy it is to grow Crops in Pots with Children Growing Vegetables with Children Growing Cut 'n' Come Again with Children Growing Herbs with Children – find out which herbs look, taste and smell good Easy Grow Flower Seeds for Children – children love colourful flowers
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