Instructions
- Read and Learn: Carefully read the descriptions in each section before starting the activities.
- Match and Identify: Complete the tool matching and plant identification exercises.
- Plan Your Garden: Fill out the "My Spring Planting Guide" table using the provided example as your lead.
- Solve the Puzzle: Use your math skills to calculate plant spacing in the garden plot section.
- Go Beyond: Attempt the "Challenge Quest" at the end if you want an extra gardening mission!
Section 1: The Gardener’s Toolbox
Every gardener needs the right tools to get the soil ready after the winter frost. Match the tool to its primary job by writing the correct letter in the blank.
Tools: A. Trowel | B. Garden Rake | C. Watering Can | D. Pruning Shears | E. Gardening Gloves
- __ Used to protect your hands from thorns, sharp rocks, and blisters.
- __ A small hand-tool used for digging small holes or moving seedlings.
- __ Used to level the soil and clear away fallen leaves or debris.
- __ Essential for providing a gentle "rain" to seeds so they don't wash away.
- __ Used to snip off dead branches or stems to help the plant grow stronger.
Section 2: My Spring Planting Guide
Spring is the time to decide what to grow. Different plants have different needs for sunlight and space. Use the example row to help you fill out the rest of the table with plants you might like to grow (e.g., Carrots, Sunflowers, Peas, Tomatoes, Marigolds).
| Plant Name | Sunlight Needed | Planting Depth | Spacing (Distance apart) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Example: Radish | Full Sun | 1/2 inch deep | 2 inches apart |
Hint: If you aren't sure, think about what you see in the grocery store or a park! Most vegetables need "Full Sun" (6+ hours).
Section 3: Seed Packet Sleuth
Imagine you are looking at a packet of "Super-Sweet Snap Peas." The back of the packet says:
- Days to Germination (Sprouting): 7-10 days
- Days to Harvest: 60 days
- Special Note: Peas love to climb! They need a fence or trellis.
Answer the following questions:
-
If you plant your seeds on April 1st, around what date should you expect to see the first tiny green sprouts popping out of the dirt?
-
If it takes 60 days to harvest, and you plant on April 1st, will your peas be ready to eat in May or June?
-
Why is it important to know that peas like to climb before you start digging?
Section 4: The Garden Plot Challenge
You have a small wooden garden box that is 12 inches wide.
You want to plant Lettuce. The instructions say that each Lettuce plant needs 4 inches of space to grow big and leafy.
1. How many Lettuce plants can you fit in one straight row across your 12-inch box? (Show your work: 12 ÷ 4 = ____)
2. Draw your garden row below! Use a small circle (O) to represent each lettuce plant. Use a ruler if you have one to space them out correctly within the 12-inch line below.
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 0 inches 12 inches
Section 5: Reflection
Why do you think we start many gardens in the Spring instead of the Winter or the middle of a very hot Summer?
Optional Challenge Quest: Soil Scientist
Go outside and find a patch of dirt. Squeeze a handful of it.
- If it falls apart immediately, it has a lot of sand.
- If it stays in a hard, sticky ball, it has a lot of clay.
- If it stays together but crumbles when you poke it, it is loamy (the best for gardening!).
What kind of soil did you find? _____
Answer Key
Section 1: The Gardener’s Toolbox
- E (Gloves)
- A (Trowel)
- B (Garden Rake)
- C (Watering Can)
- D (Pruning Shears)
Section 2: My Spring Planting Guide Answers will vary based on student choice. Correct examples:
- Carrots: Full Sun, 1/4 inch deep, 3 inches apart.
- Sunflowers: Full Sun, 1 inch deep, 12 inches apart.
Section 3: Seed Packet Sleuth
- April 8th to April 11th (7-10 days after April 1st).
- June (60 days is approximately two months).
- You need to make sure you plant them near a fence or have a trellis ready so they have something to hold onto as they grow.
Section 4: The Garden Plot Challenge
- 3 plants (12 / 4 = 3).
- Drawings should show 3 circles spaced roughly 4 inches apart (at the 0, 4, and 8-inch marks, or 2, 6, and 10-inch marks).
Section 5: Reflection Possible answers: The ground is no longer frozen; the weather is mild (not too cold/not too hot); there is usually more rain in the spring to help seeds grow.