Keep Calm and Carry on Gardening with a Gather Grow Bag
For those who have a grow bag – see the video above and scroll down for the print version
We’ve been missing seeing those of you who already come down to the allotments, and also regret that we haven’t been able to launch some of the new ventures we’d hoped to, such as the Men’s Shed and the Gardening Club for children. We’re also really missing our Friday Feast around our long tables!
As we’re not sure exactly when we will be able to open up again (although hopefully, as it’s outside, we’re trusting it won’t be too long), we are providing a ‘grow bag’ delivery. The grow bag contains all that is needed to grow the seeds, and can eventually be brought to the allotment to carry on growing, or put in a garden, balcony or window box. This could be a great activity for your children.
If this is something you might be interested in email us at dave@gathercollective.com indicating that you would be happy for us to drop off your bag (at no charge for bag or delivery). We started deliveries from 1st February. We would let you know the day we are bringing it and would simply leave the bag outside, or in a place that you specify.
We trust that this might be something that interests you, and is a way that we can continue to grow plants through the seasons, even when we cannot garden together.
Gather Grow Bags Guide
Hello and welcome to the Gather Grow Bag Guide. You are reading the simple instructions for your grow at home project – these have been created by our own in house expert Paul Bridge.
First – Unpack the bag and arrange what you need ready for you planting session
There are four activities to get you involved in growing things:
This is what you should find
- A bag of compost
- 4 square pots
- One medium size round pot
- One smaller round pot
- Planting name sticks
- A 12 cell tray
- Four envelopes with seeds – Be very careful when in opening the seeds. It’s better to cut the top off the envelope – tearing it may mean they spill everywhere.
Four growing activities.
We will start with the Broad Beans .
- Place your 12 cell tray in front of you – if using your dining table put newspaper or kitchen roll underneath.
- We have provided some well prepared compost. This has been sifted, so there are no large lumps in it. Fill the tray almost to the top of each cell and smooth over.
- Then give the tray a light tap on the work surface you are using. This will help remove air bubbles. But do not push the soil down hard.
- Find the seed envelope marked Broad Beans. This is the Sutton variety. It can grow to 2-3 feet tall and produces lovely small pods with up to 8 beans in each.
- Look carefully at each bean as you plant it – each one has a little V shaped dimple. Place one of each in each cell of the tray, with the V pointing downwards. This will mean that it grows quicker because the root will already point downwards.
- Now just simply cover them up with a light dusting of compost across the tray.
- The planting name sticks in your pack can be used many times for planting if you write the name of the seed on them in pencil. Write Broad Beans on one of them now and insert near the edge of the tray.
- Now you need to water them. Don’t pour on water from above as this will splatter compost and may move your carefully planted seeds. Fill a washing bowl or the sink with a small amount of water – an inch or so but no higher than the tray. Then place the seed tray in there and let it soak for a few minutes. The compost will turn very dark as it soaks up water and you can then remove the tray.
- Now find a windowsill at home. Put some kitchen towel or a plate or a plastic lid underneath and then wait to see what happens over the next few weeks. If they need watering because the soil has gone light brown – do the same as before with a ‘water bath’.
- Let them grow until the pods You can then consider planting them in your garden. Or you can bring them back to us to be part of our growing this year. If you do we will give you a dwarf variety called Oscar and is ideal for patio. These produce very small little broad beans that are quite intense and tasty.
The second activity is planting sweet peas.
- I like to put them in early in the spring. If you leave it too late, you don’t get the flowers. You will need the 4 small square pots for this. Use the same process as you did with the broad beans.
- Fill with compost – then tap each pot on the table to help get rid of air pockets.
- Now you need a pencil or chopstick or the like to create the 5 small holes for your seed in each pot. These should be about and inch deep. Place a seed in each hole. The seeds you are planting were gathered here at the allotment by two wonderful girls, Maya and Nina. Cover the top of your pot with a light covering of compost and then put the 4 sweet pea pots in the water bath until the compost turns a dark brown. Don’t forget to label each pot.
- They should germinate very quickly. Keep an eye on the soil and give them another water bath if the soil becomes a light dry brown. (Check the video for other growing tips). When they reach 6 -12 inches they could go outside into a larger pot. When they get a little higher should be a near a fence or trellis so that they have something to grow up. More about that in our next video
The third activity is salad leaves.
- I’ve made up a mixture of seeds so that you’ll have different things coming up. Use the medium size round pot. Get your compost nice and level – perhaps just tap it with a jam jar or the smaller pot we have given you. Spread the seeds evenly across the top and then cover them with just enough compost to cover the seeds.
- As with the other planting give them a water bath so that they soak up water from below. Water from above will scatter the seeds. Add the label to the pot.and then put them on a windowsill – south facing if you can (Tissue paper or plastic tray underneath.) Keep them moist via water baths as they grow and you can then use them in your own cooking.
Our final activity is baby leeks
- This time of year they’re ideal and a nice warm windowsill will be a great place to start them off, before planting them outside. Use the smaller pot and follow the same compost, tap and level process as with the other seeds. Sprinkle the seeds across the top and give them a light covering of compost followed by a water bath. Remember to put a name stick in the pot.
We’ll be telling you more about other things that you can plant and how to keep tending and nurturing the things we have already given you, in a future video.
