In May we’ve been learning about gardens and plants. Has your child ever asked, “Do plants have babies? How do they make more plants? “ Our Nani’s corner has a few simple activities to explore that question. Plants can multiply by their root growth and by their seeds. We’ll take a look at both functions.
Experiment #1: You need a baby spider plant or a leafy stem of basil plus a clear glass of water.
This project requires patience, because it may take a week before new nubs of thirsty roots show up on the plants.
- Clip a long “baby” stem from a spider plant, and you need to have patience.
- Fill a small clear glass with water and let the baby spider sit in the water at the top. You can do this with a stem from your basil plant too. (Did you start a basil plant when you made your pizza garden?)
- Choose a 3-4 inch stem that has a few leaves near the top. Put the stem in another glass of water pushing it down like a straw.
Ask “Where would this plant with roots want to live?” As the roots grow you can count the root system together. After you have a few inches of roots, plant the baby in a pot of soil. That’s where those new roots find nourishment.
Experiment #2: Seed search. This is an observation activity.
Just as we sow seeds to grow new plants in our gardens, some plants spread their own seeds. You can find seeds in many places.
- Cut open a fresh apple and look carefully in the core. Count the seeds!
- Look up at the maple trees. Those whirly birds that flutter down to the ground carry seeds. How many can you count? Some will land and find a place to root in the soil.
- Explore your kitchen and your yard for more seeds.
Experiment #3: Seeds can fly
- Find a dandelion that has turned from yellow petals to white fluff.
- Blow hard at the flower and to watch where the bits of fluff land.
- Put a few pieces in a small plastic bag and look at the tiny black seeds that get a ride when the wind takes the fluff.
- Ask the child to follow some fluff and to guess how many places where new seeds would like to grow. (in soil, on a rock, on the hood of a car?)
We hope you have been inspired to try a few garden activities in the month of May. Find all of our recent Nani’s Corner activities here!
Enjoy your gardens and shop local.
In Nani’s Corner we shop local small businesses, so check in at your favorite garden store for plants and supplies:
- Beaver Valley Farm & Country Store (Pelham)
- Delahunty Garden & Landscape Center (Windham)
- Lake Street Garden Center (Salem)
- Springlook Farm Garden Center Nursery (Derry)
FULL LIST OF ALL GARDEN RESOURCES HERE
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