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These
are fun gardening activities for St. Patrick's Day
Give
each child a small cup. I try to get white bathroom cups for this
activity. Spray paint the cups green. Using paint pens, draw
a leprechaun's face on the cup. Fill the cup with dirt and plant
grass seed in the cup. Water well and watch the seeds grow.
You will see your leprechaun grow hair!. You need to begin the
activity between 2-3 weeks before St. Patrick's Day in order to have
enough hair in the cup.
Growing
Shamrocks
One
leaf is for HOPE... The second for FAITH...
The
third for LOVE... And the fourth for LUCK!
Cut
shamrock from a sponge. Moisten shamrock. Sprinkle with alfalfa seed.
Keep moist. Set in dark place. Allow several days for shamrock to grow.
Set in sunlight for shamrock to turn green.
- Seeds can be
sown in small pots or trays using peat pellets, peat pots or any
moist, well drained soil mix.
- The seeds
which are very small should be placed on the moist soil surface or
lightly covered with soil. A clear dome or plastic cover should be
placed over the pot or tray (supported at least 2" above the
surface) and the pot or tray placed in a warm shaded location until
the seeds have germinated (this will usually be in about a week).
- Once the seeds
have germinated and the first "seed" leaf appears (this
will be a single leaf, not a clover leaf), remove the cover and
place pot or tray in a sunny location, keep moist and do not allow
soil to dry out. When the soil surface "lightens" and
starts to dry, it's time to water. Depending on your pot or tray
size and location, you may have to water every day or every second
or third day. Only water, do not fertilize.
- When two or
three true clover leaves have formed, you can begin fertilizing with
a liquid fertilizer at the recommended dosage for house plants.
You
can buy shamrock seeds from the following sources:
Digital
Rain Gardens
Shamrock
Seeds From Ireland
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