If you start now by May you will have a range of summer bedding and vegetable plants to sell and use in your own college garden.
Here are a few jobs which can be done now in January even if it is cold and wet outside
Clean flowerpots ready for potting on later in the season. We usually have a production line with pots passing from one bowl to another to ensure a good clean before being stacked pyramid style to dry out and of course quality control.
Collect mushroom trays to keep the pots in. Keep a count of the pots ( A good Maths task)- How many will you need?
Check your tools- clean the trowels and forks - Do you have dibbers and gloves?
Label everyone's gloves so they get the same ones and are responsible for bringing them back after time in the greenhouse or garden.
Research prices and costing items on the computer
If you're borrowing money to fund the enterprise spend time working on your pitch- Each student taking a part in the presentation.
Make some of your own labels out of old plastic containers
Look at seed catalogues or visit the garden center to buy seed.
For sewing in pots big seeds are best : Nasturtiums and sweet peas and dwarf sunflower , For vegetables :runner beans broad beans, french bean peas, cucumber, courgette, marrow . Not all of these are for planting now but you can start now with Sweet peas
Buy First Early potatoes and start chitting in a cool dry place. Take photos of their progress See blog post for resources from 2017
Buy Tete a tete or other miniature daffodils. Plant three in a pot
Buy peat free compost ( buy it in sizes you can lift!)
Order plug plants now- I use Jersey Plug Plants
Clean out the greenhouse
If you have a heater in the greenhouse you can start planting now .
I don't do small seeds because pricking out is quite a skill and time consuming for the teacher to have to do.
An easy herb to do is mint- If you can find a clump to dig up it can be divided between lots of little pots and grown on.
Think about watering- can other groups help you out
How will the plants survive through the holidays? - If there is no one to water don't be too ambitious because someone will have to take the plants home!
A watering system is useful , A rota of staff who can water. Trays to go under the the flowerpots and trays help.
