Winter Growing
Students at Jefferson Elementary in New Ulm, Minnesota, wanted to grow carrots to eat in the spring. But if they waited to plant until the ground was not frozen, the carrots would not be ready until July or August.
So they came up with ideas to grow crops like carrots in the winter. The students learned that they would have to:
- Use soil that was not frozen.
- Trap sunlight to give warmth to the plant.
- Protect the plant from the wind.
They made special winter growing jugs. They planted seeds in the jugs. Then they watched how the seeds grew in the cold months.
What Would You Do?
Would you like to try growing vegetables in the winter? Look at what the New Ulm students learned. How could you plant winter seeds? What would you need? How would it work? Discuss with your classmates. Come up with several ideas.
Seed Packet Math
Look at this seed packet. It tells you many things about seeds. One thing it tells is how long it takes to grow once planted. If you planted the seeds on March 1, when would the carrots be ready to eat? What if you planted on May 7?