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LIST OF FRUIT AND HERBS TO GROW AT SCHOOL


Fruit and herbs for schools avoiding late July to late August harvest
The great thing about herbs is that many are easy to grow and they have a long harvest time. Some are from the Mediterranean and can stand lack of water easily.

Garlic "Supreme"

GARLIC
Simply buy a big garlic bulb from the supermarket in late March or early April, divide up the cloves and plant them. Keep weed free and they will look after themselves. They will be ready for harvest in mid September. What could be simpler than that!

Click here for more information on growing garlic.




PICTURE COMING SOON MINT
The easiest herb to grow and they are grown from rooted cuttings. I suggest you visit your local allotment in early May and ask one of the allotment holders if you can have a couple of small pieces of rooted mint. Most will oblige because it grows so easily. Plant it in a medium pot and watch it take off. Within three months you can harvest a few of the leaves at a time. It will die down over winter but will grow again year after year. It's a fool proof way of showing children how to take rooted cuttings. It will withstand the summer holidays with no water if left in a shady position where it gets natural rain. Click here for more information on growing mint.


PARSLEY
Sow seed indoors in a warm place in mid March. The seedlings will emerge in about three weeks. Plant into the ground outside in late April or early May. Parsley also does very well in containers. It will be ready for harvest in 12 weeks and will reappear next year.

Very strong growing once established parsley requires minimal care. Click here for more information on growing parsley.

FRUIT
Fruit trees are probably not suitable for growing at school because they take around three years before they produce any fruit, they are also expensive to buy.

Strawberries plants are cheaper and can be bought and planted in mid April and will produce fruit the next year in early July. Click here for more information.

Gooseberries and raspberries are also another possibility, they produce fruit for many years in late June to early July. Click here for more information on gooseberries. Click here for more information on raspberries.

For our list on good vegetables to grow at schools, click here.


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