SUMMER GARDEN PROGRAM

Lesson 1

Harvesting Techniques
Harvest - lettuce, arugula, chard, kale
Collecting Leaves for an Herbarium
Planting Summer Lettuces

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• Explore visual clues that help you decide if a vegetable is ready for harvest.
• Collect leaves from each plant in the food garden for a herbarium.
• Become more familiar with vegetables we might eat.

MATERIALS

FOR ACTIVITY:

• seeds of summer lettuces
• hand cultivators
• bowls or colanders for gathering the harvest, 2 or more
• scissors for harvesting
• cardboard, 8 1/2 by 11 or larger, 10 pieces or more as needed
• newspaper
• heavy books or other heavy objects that can be used to add weight for leaf pressing
• Ziploc bags or paper bags to pack the harvest, 1 per child
• watering can

INSTRUCTOR PREP:

• Set out garden tools.
• Depending on the number or children, decide how to divide the students into two or more working groups. (You will need one adult to supervise each group.) It is important that the children have some space to move around when they are engaged in the garden, especially when they are using sharp tools. If your group is too large to have half of the students working in the garden at the same time, try pairing the children up: Each pair shares a tool and takes turns using it.
• Review harvesting techniques with all instructors as needed.
• Review the steps for leaf pressing. Identify an appropriate place where the leaf press can be stored for two weeks or so.

WARM UP

Go-round: Say one thing that you like about summer or that you like to do in summer.

GARDEN TOUR
All students

ASK: How has the garden changed since your last visit? Find one or two things that are new or different. Especially take note of any vegetables that may be ready to harvest.

Allow a few minutes time for independent investigation and brainstorming.

Then visit each type of vegetable or herb with the group.

With each one, ask the children to try and identify the plant.

Then focus the discussion around the edible parts of different plants (roots, stems, leaves, fruit, seeds)

Discuss visual clues that help a gardener decide whether a vegetable is ready to harvest.

ASK: Who remembers the name of this vegetable (herb)?

ASK: Which part of the (radish) plant do people eat?

• The roots.

ASK: What do roots do for a plant?

• Roots support the plant in the ground and take in water and minerals from the soil.

ASK: How do we know if the radishes are ready for harvesting?

• They are chubby and their tops are starting to push out of the ground

ASK: Which part of the (broccoli) plant do people eat?

• The flower.

ASK: What's the job of a flower?

• The flower makes the seeds and develops into a fruit.

ASK: Can we harvest the broccoli? Should it grow a little larger?

ASK: Which part of the (chard, collards, kale, lettuces) plant do people eat?

• The leaves and leaf stems.

ASK: What's the job of the leaves?

• Leaves take in sunlight and air and make sugars for the plant.

ASK: What's the job of the stem?

• The stem supports the leaves and flowers and carries water and minerals up to the leaves.

Gardeners commonly harvest larger somewhat older leaves rather than the newest tiniest leaves.

ASK: What happens to the tiny leaves if they stay on the plant a while longer?

• They will get larger.

ASK: What may happen to the older leaves if they stay on the plant a while longer?

• The older leaves may get tough and may not be as tasty.

ASK: Which part of the (cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes) plant do people eat?

• The fruit (with its seeds inside)

ASK: What's the job of a fruit?

• The fruit holds the seeds.

ASK: What's the job of a seed?

• The seed holds a new plant inside.

ASK: How do you know if the fruit is ready for harvest?

• Size, color

What is a fruit anyway?
A discussion about what a fruit is may arise. A fruit is the part of the plant that holds the seeds.
Sometimes it is sweet like a cherry, an apple, or a peach, but it doesn't have to be sweet. A fruit
can also be something we mostly think of as a "vegetable" like a cucumber, a pepper, or a tomato.
If it holds a plant's seeds, it's a fruit!

ACTIVITY
Start a Herbarium Collection

ASK: How can we remember what we are growing in the garden?

• We can write it down. We can also collect leaves, press and dry them, and gather them in a plant journal. This is called a Herbarium.

HALF GROUP GATHERS LEAVES FOR HERBARIUM WHILE THE OTHER HALF HARVESTS. THEN SWITCH ACTIVITIES

Gather leaves for pressing

• Partner each adult with a group of 3 or 4 children.
• Hand each adult a pair of scissors.
• Each group reviews safe tool handling: Hold scissors with the sharp end down. Don't run with scissors in your hand.
• Assign each group an area where they will collect leaf samples.
• Each adult demonstrates leaf cutting technique. Use both hands: Hold the leaf with one hand. Hold the scissors in the other hand and snip.
• Choose and cut leaf samples from the different plants. Collect leaves in ziplock bags.

TIME TO HARVEST

Adults and children work in teams. Adults demonstrate the appropriate harvesting technique for a vegetable and then assist children as needed. Review the technique (and safe tool use)

ASK: How might we prepare the vegetables?

ASK: How much of a particular vegetable or herb will be needed for a dish?

ASK: How much is ready for harvesting? Is there enough? Is there too much?

ASK: What should be done with extra vegetables?

For harvesting tips for specific vegetables link to HARVESTING TIPS:

PREPARE LEAVES FOR PRESSING FOR HERBARIUM
With All Students

• Gather in a circle. Each group highlights one or two interesting leaves that they found.


• Demonstrate the procedure: Put down a piece of cardboard, cover it with 2 sheets of newsprint, spread
  a few leaves on top. Flatten the leaves as much as possible. Don't overlap leaves. Cover with 2 sheets
  of newsprint, and then cover with cardboard. Continue adding to the stack: Put 2 sheets of newsprint
  on top of the cardboard, spread leaves on top. Cover with 2 sheets of newsprint, cover with cardboard...
  Continue until all the leaves have been used up.


• Adults work with children to compile stacks, keeping each one to a manageable height.


• Put the stacks in a dry place. Weight them down with a few heavy books. Allow at least 2 weeks
  drying time. Check on the leaves every few days. Discard any leaves that have gone moldy.

Children will use the dry leaves to start their own herbarium collection

PLANT SUMMER LETTUCE SEEDS

If there's space available in the garden, start seeding summer lettuces. In time, they will take the place of the cool-season salad greens planted in spring (See Video)

WATER

Check soil to see if it is dry. If it is, water till it is damp but not soaked.

WATCH Terms and Techniques VIDEO