THE SCHOOL VEGETABLE

GARDEN

Tonini, Giorgi, Cipriani ,Capitoni

Introduction

• This year our class has started a new project with our Agrarian science teacher. This project is about a vegetable garden.

• We planted eight kinds of vegetables. For each kind of vegetable we made a group. When the vegetables will be ready to be harvested, the kitchen school will cook them to make typical Tuscan dishes.

QUESTIONS CAPITONI CIPRIANI GIORGI TONINI

Where is yourvegetable garden located?

My vegetable garden islocated behind my house

Behind my house, you can see it by my window

My vegetable garden is behind my house

Near my father’s farm

What are the positive points of growing a vegetable garden?

You can enjoy yourself and be in contact with nature

It’s a way to save money andto spend some time outdoor

- The vegetables are healthy -The vegetables are controlled

What are the vegetables that you grow?

In my vegetable garden there are potatoes, tomatoes, watermelons, melons, onions, beans, cabbage, peppers and carrots.

Onions, salad, watermelon, cabbage, tomatoes

Onions ,lettuce, cabbage, turnips, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots

In my vegetable garden I grow salad, onions, cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, melons and water melons

Do you prefer the vegetables that you buy at the supermarket or the ones that you grow yourselves, why?

I prefer my vegetables, because they are more controlled

I prefer my vegetables because I work a lot to grow them

I prefer my vegetables because I spend less time at the supermarket and the vegetable are fresher

I prefer my vegetables because they are healthier than the supermarket’s vegetables

How often do you take care of your vegetable garden?

I usually take care of my vegetable garden once a day

Twice a week When I’m free Once a week

What is the dimension of your vegetable garden?

My vegetable garden is very big.

Three hundred mq Half a hectare Two-thousand metres

Why have you decided to grow a vegetable garden?

I decided to grow a vegetable garden, because I like it

Because I enjoy it Because my mother wanted organic vegetables

I need to help my grandfather

What tools do you usually use?

For my vegetable garden I use a tractor, spade, shovel, hoe, and rake

Tractor, spade, shovel, hoe, and rake

Tractor, spade ,shovel, hoe and rake

I use a tractor, spade, shovel, hoe and rake

Do you use any chemicals?

In my vegetable garden I don’t use any chemicals

I don’t use any chemicals I don’t use any chemicals I don’t use any chemicals

What do you wear when you work in your vegetable garden?

When I work in my vegetable garden I usually wear a T-Shirt, trousers and work shoes

Pair of trousers, a T-Shirt and trainers

I usually wear a pair of trousers , a T-Shirt and boots

I usually wear jeans ,a T-Shirt andWork shoes

ADVANTAGES OF PLANTING A VEGETABLE GARDEN

• It is a way to save money

• You eat healthy food

• you eat food with no pesticides

• It’s a great way to spend time outdoor

• You can enjoy yourself

DECISIONS TO TAKE BEFORE PLANTING A VEGETABLE GARDEN

• Dimension of area

• What to plant in a vegetable garden

• Good soil

• Plenty of water

• Full sun

BASIC REQUIREMENTS

• Water

• Some experience

• Sun

• Space

THE LAYOUT OF A VEGETABLE GARDEN

• Place the plants in single files in rows with a walking path between each row

• It is easier to use mechanical equipment

• Place taller plants like tomatoes , peas, cocumbers and planting beans at the north side of your garden

STEPS IN PLANTING A VEGETABLE GARDEN

• Test and fix your soil

• Dig your beds

• Loosen your soil

• Spread soil compost and work it in the soil

• Test the soil temperature

• Choose varieties of vegetables

• Plant the seedlings or seeds

INTENSIVE CROPPING METHOD

• You group vegetables in wide bands

• Square foot method

• It is ideal for mixing vegetables with ornamental plants as well

HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR VEGETABLE GARDEN

• Keep the vegetable garden with a steady supply of moisture

• Remove weeds because they compete for water and nutrients

• Fertilize your vegetables

• Water the vegetables more often when the top of soil is dry

HARVESTING

• Many vegetables can be harvested at several stages

• If the vegetables look good enough to eat, pick them

• With many vegetables, the more you pick, the more the plant will produce

PESTS AND PISEASESS

• Moles

• Wild boars

• Deer

• Rabbits

• Spring insects

• Fungal diseases

• Summer insects

The 10 steps we followed to carry out our project “The school vegetable

garden”

1. We decided where to plant the schoolvegetable garden. We have a small plot ofland at school, behind the greenhouse. It is a good position for planting vegetablesbecause the soil is well-drained.

2. we did some operations to have the best vegetables possible. Infact we aereated, loosened and raked the soil.

3. When we finishedworking the soil, wesquared the plot. Wetook the measures with some sticks and wireand we divided the plot into eight parcels. In the middle of the parcels wecreated walkways.

4. When the parcels wereready we startedremoving weeds, debrisand small stones.

5. The vegetable garden’s soil now was OK and we started growing vegetables. We plantedout (we took the young plants and we put them in the ground). Then we put soil aroundthe plants to protect or help them to grow.

6. After planting our seedlings we fertilized ourland with chemicals.

7. To make sure that plants have more oxygenavailable we tilled the soil to areate it.

8. To keep the vegetable garden healthy we hadto remove the weeds that prevented the growth of vegetable garden.

9. With winter at the door we covered some types of plants intolerant to low temperatures with a sheet of a particularmaterial. This is able to make them growwithout the frost stressing them.

10.Now we are waiting for our seedlings to beready for harvesting.

Savoy cabbage

Botanic name: Brassica oleracea var. sabauda

Family: Brassicaceae

Origin and diffusion: West Europe, but now it is grown all over the world

In Italy: It is grown in everywhere in our country

How to use this vegetable: This cabbage is used in cooking. In Italy a lot of typicaldishes are made with this vegetable

Temperature and soil: This cabbage needs a large space, but it does not need a lot of water. It is a strong plant, it resists to frost.

SEEDING: from March to JulyTRANSPLANTATION: from April to AugustHARVESTING: from October to April

Cipriani, Capitoni

Tonini,Giorgi

Kale

Botanic name: Brassica oleracea Varietà acephala

Family: Brassicaceae

Origin and diffusion: In centre of Italy

In Italy: This cabbage is from Tuscany

How to use this vegetable: its leaves are cooked in a lot of different ways.

Temperature and soil: This cabbage needs a lot of sun, but it resists to frost.

SEEDING: from March to JulyTRANSPLANTATION: from April to AugustHARVESTING: from October to April