Square Foot Gardening and Companion Planting

Overview: Grade Levels: In this three part lesson, students will work together to plan and 3rd-6th plant a garden. Students will explore concepts about companion Duration: planting and will create their own square foot garden. Part 1 & 2: 45 minutes Learning Objectives: Part 3: 45 minutes  Students will begin to identify plants needs: including spacing Materials: and relationships.

 Students will participate in collaborative conversations: one-on  Square piece of paper (1 per student) -one, in groups, and teacher-led.

 Garden Planning Cards for Fall or  Students will apply mathematical concepts to gardening. Con- Spring Planting (included in online re- cepts include: measuring length and width, calculating square source packet) footage and creating a grid.  Seeds and Seedlings  Colored pencils, crayons, or markers ACTIVITY  Yard Stick & Rulers Part 1: Planning Your  Twine Garden  Stakes to hold twine Before you begin planning your Use a movement activity to  Planting labels garden, take time to discuss and demonstrate that seeds and reflect with students about why plants need space to grow. Have  Garden Journals or Graph Paper you are planting a garden. Possible the class sit closely together, discussion points (depending on then have them imagine they are Standards: grade levels): a tiny seed of their favorite vege- table. Then “add” all the things NGSS –Core Ideas  What is the value of growing our the students identified as neces- own vegetables? sary for healthy growth. As you  What does the word organic add these things (“ You're placed mean? in healthy soil…” The sun is com- ing out…” “Now the clouds are To make sure the garden does well, forming and the rain comes let’s think about what the plants Crosscutting Concepts down…” etc.) Students will be need. Possible discussion points: growing as a plant does. Direct them to stretch their legs out like  What do plants need to roots, their arms as the first grow? (soil (nutrients), sun , water, sprout, then into leaves, stem, and care) etc.

Part 3: The Grid Ask Students: Creating your square foot  What do you notice about being so close together? garden.  What might happen to the plants In small groups and using garden if the seeds are this close together? journals or graph paper to record Tell students plants need different data, students will: amounts of space. You can also lead  Measure the width and length a conversation about how the plants we eat grow up or climb, of the garden bed. some vine, some grow down (root  Determine how many inches veggies), and some spread out and are in a foot. up (Kale, Broccoli). Part 2: Companion Planting  Draw diagram representing Discussion questions: Plants can act as companions to garden bed and create grid to each other.  What kind of vegetables might represent the square foot . take up a lot of room? Discuss: (This could be to scale if grade  Which ones might take up very appropriate or more symbolic little room?  What do you think companion means? (Create definition to- of space) Have students work in partners. gether) 4. Discuss findings as a class. Each group can pick a vegetable  Think of what friends do for each they want to plant in the garden, 5. Measure and mark your square other. choosing from the Garden Planning foot grid in the planting area. Cards. These cards will tell stu-  How could plants do this for each Place stakes every 12” inches. dents how much space each plant other? needs in a 12”x 12” square. Have 6. Create the grid by tying twine partners divide a 12” square piece of Ask students to use their Garden to each vertical stake and each paper into appropriate smaller Planning Cards to discover what horizontal stake. squares (either by folding or meas- their vegetable’s companions are. uring). In the middle of each small Then have students find another 7. Use your companion planting square students should draw their partnered group in the class whose map from Part 2 to tell you vegetable. vegetable is one of their companion where you should plant each Make one together as an example: plants. Once students find their vegetable. You are now ready to companions, invite them to lay out sow your seeds or transplants

their paper square on the ground in your seedlings. the shape of the bed outline (typically 4’x8’, 3’x8’, or 4’x4’).

Make sure to place companions next to each other. This might re- quire a whole class discussion.

Once the paper squares are in

place, tape them together to form a square food garden map . 16 carrots fit in 1 square foot For Younger Participants For Older Participants RESOURCES (Grades K-2): (Grades 7 and up): Background Information

 Add songs and books about Expanding the project: Companion Planting: seeds, plants, and gardens.  Study and explore the history There are different ways plants  Prior to activity select seeds of companion planting through can be companions to each other: that are bigger for little time and around the world. Above ground: hands, i.e. peas, beans,  Larger study and scientific Attractors: Some plants (like flow- squashes, nasturtiums, or pel- testing can be done on differ- ers) attract beneficial insects, leted small seeds: carrots, bas- ent types of agriculture. il, lettuces. bringing them close to the garden  Monoculture: Single crop in the where they will pollinate the oth-  Adapt the lesson by having same space er plants . the 12” x12” paper already in grid, plants/seed per square,  Polyculture: Multiple crops in Trappers: These plants attract i.e. 4, 9, 16 . Then have stu- the same space pests away from the main crop. dents draw the plant they’ve  Soil Science: Protectors: Help other plants by chosen in each square; plants  Microscopic world of soil, min- giving shelter from sun or wind could be represented by erals, nutrients, and microor- (ex. climbing beans provide shade shapes or colors i.e. triangles ganisms and their role in the to lettuce). Plants with strong for carrots, red for radishes. ecosystem. smells can hide your crop from  Pre-create the string and pests (ex. onions with carrots).  Soil pH and Soil Types stakes grid in garden bed be- Below ground: fore students plant. Soil Improvers: Naturally till the  Forget the shovels when soil or add needed nutrients planting seeds, use fingers to Square Foot Gardening:

The method of dividing the grow- ing area into small square sections in order to:

 Utilize a small growing area  Reduce weed growth  Create a polyculture of plants and insects