Plant a salad garden

Before you begin

• Choose which seeds you’ll plant. We recommend ones that grow quickly and easily, such as lettuce, rocket, radish, and broad beans. You could also use spinach, peas, or mange tout. Everyone should be able to plant at least three different things.
• Allotment owners or keen gardeners may have spare pots you can use. You could also use biodegradable cardboard pots. You’ll need three pots for each person.
• Ideally, everyone will be in charge of caring for their seeds, but it might not be possible if people don’t have space at home, so you may need to make a backup plan. Some vegetables will grow in a pot; some will need to be moved later.
• Plan to plan some extra pots with seeds, for everyone to observe in meetings.

Plant a salad garden

1. Everyone should work together to remember what seeds need to grow. The person leading the game may need to help everyone remember that they need air, light, warmth, water, and nutrients - as well as a bit of patience and care.
2. The person leading the activity should give everyone three pots, and some seeds.
3. Everyone should put a bit of gravel as the bottom of their pots. This helps the soil drain.
4. Everyone should add compost until their pots are almost full, then push down lightly with their fingers.
5. Everyone should add seeds to each pot. If they have bigger seeds, they could press them straight into the soil. If they’re smaller, they could put them on a teaspoon and sprinkle them onto the soil.
6. Everyone should water their seeds, and put them on a tray. The seeds only need a little water - everyone should use a small watering can, or just sprinkle water with their fingers.
7. Everyone should write a label for each pot on a lollipop stick, and stick it in the soil or on the side of the pot.
8. Everyone should be patient and watch their salad gardens grow. Don’t forget to water them!

While you’re waiting

1. While they’re waiting for their seeds to grow, everyone should keep track of what happens to them.
2. Everyone should use the ‘Plant diary’ sheet to record what the plants look like, and what they do to take care of them. People can write or draw, or both - whatever they prefer.

Enjoy the salads

Everyone should wait for their salad to be ready.

• Salad leaves will start to germinate (begin to grow and put out shoots) in between 7 and 14 days. They’re ready to eat as soon as they look big enough. Once they’re cut, many leaves will grow again around six weeks later.
• Beans germinate in between 7 and 14 days; they need planting into a bed or larger container when they’re about 12cm. Eat peas and mange tout raw, or blanch them.