Cultivating Fun and Kids’ Green Thumbs

Gardening for children needs to be fun from their viewpoint, suggests the National Gardening Bureau. And skip the radishes, even though they are such a fast and easy crop they would seem to be a natural.

The reason: Most kids don’t like radishes.

Jane Taylor, curator of the children’s garden at Michigan State University, and Adrianne Licciardello, children’s garden manager at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, were asked for recommendations.

“Definitely carrots,” Licciardello said. “The kids love them.”

Taylor agreed, saying, “I’m not sure why. It may have something to do with Peter Rabbit and other stories that make kids think about carrots. And carrots can be eaten raw.”

Carrot seeds can be sown directly in the garden once the weather is favorable, although carrots prefer cool temperatures. They mature in 60 to 70 days. Plants need to be kept well watered and thinned to one plant every 1 to 2 inches because crowding produces lots of foliage but no root.

Sweet corn is another favorite of youngsters.

Corn likes the hot days of summer and will mature in 60 to 85 days, according to the bureau. One corn plant will produce only one or two ears, so plan accordingly. Because corn grows so tall, plant it on the north side of your garden so it doesn’t shade other plants. Most kids enjoy corn on the cob, and the plants do grow large fairly quickly and noticeably.

Tomatoes are another favorite, “especially the cherry types like Sweet 100,” Licciardello says. Taylor recommends varieties that can be eaten in one or two bites.

Tomatoes can be grown from transplants or seed sown in the garden. Choose early-maturing varieties.

Both endorsed watermelons because kids love to eat them. Be prepared to give them space, somewhere around 9 square feet per plant.

They also recommend pumpkins.

The Brooklyn garden has a program to see who can grow the biggest, and zucchini is popular for the same reason.

Taylor suggests the medium-size Autumn Gold pumpkin because it turns orange within six weeks and the 1- to 2-pound Baby Bear for its size.

Lettuce is rated a good choice, particularly the red-leafed types.

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Any surprises in what kids like?

“Okra,” Licciardello said. “I’m not sure why. I think it’s because it’s a neat plant to grow, and kids like to eat it.”

She also recommends herbs because younger children because they like the smell and touch.

“Broccoli,” Taylor said. “The kids think it looks like little trees.”

Also popular are vegetables that have unusual colors, such as red lettuce, yellow watermelon and purple beans.

How about spinach?

“We grow some spinach, and I always put a picture of Popeye next to it. The kids laugh. But they don’t like spinach,” Taylor said.

Licciardello said spinach and Swiss chard are pretty low on any list of kids’ vegetables.

And don’t push the eating part too much, Taylor suggested: “Just because kids want to grow it doesn’t mean they want to eat it.”