BENEFITS THAT BRINGS A GARDEN IN THE SCHOOL

The garden is a natural and economic way to produce healthy food, with which it seeks to maintain the natural fertility of the soil by maintaining the balance between living and dead elements. Soils, like water or solar energy, are one of the basic elements for the development of life on earth.

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WHAT IS A SCHOOL ORCHARD?
The school garden is a small piece of land where vegetables are grown for consumption by the school community and usually works on land available within the school. In the school garden, plants whose seeds, roots, leaves or fruits are edible are grown.

HOW IS A SCHOOL GARDEN BUILT?

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-In the preparation of an orchard, the following steps are taken into account:
-Choose the land that is available within the educational center.
-Preparation of the cultivation terrain Leveling of the land and clearing.
-The first action to be carried out in the garden prior to the introduction of the crops is the "leveling of the land", for which we must perform earth movements in order to achieve a regular slope. Related to the leveling is the activity called "de-stemming", consisting of the removal of larger stones with the help of a rake or shovels. Clean the land, eliminating any waste material, stones, brush or other.

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-To till the ground, about 20 or 25 centimeters deep.
-Crumble and crush the earth very well.
-Fertilize the land preferably with natural fertilizer:
-We call "fertilizer" to the matter that we use to fertilize the earth, that is, to enrich it in a way that gives us better fruits;

When fertilizing, we provide the soil with the necessary nutrients so that the vegetables grow in good conditions. An appropriate fertilizer for use in a school garden is that which provides organic matter in any of its forms: animal excrement or manure, crop residues, compost, etc.

Before starting any sowing or transplanting activity, an initial fertilization with organic matter must be made to provide the plants with the nutrients they need.
There are two types of fertilizer, the chemical and the organic.

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THE CHEMICAL FERTILIZER:

These are products made in laboratories by specialists. In fact they are not very recommendable because their handling can be dangerous if it is not done following the letter of the indications. In addition, it can affect the sowing product and its cost is very high.

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THE ORGANIC FERTILIZER:

They are those that can be prepared at home with the shells of vegetables, mineral substances such as sand, lime, ashes and animal dung. Steps to prepare an organic fertilizer.

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THE COMPOTE

It is the place where fertilizer or compost is prepared. To take advantage of organic waste and avoid environmental pollution can follow a series of simple steps: Choose the site where you will prepare the fertilizer. It can be in a container or in a hole dug in the ground. If a container is used, it is advisable to open small holes to let the water out.
Gather the necessary materials: dead flowers, dried leaves, fruit shells, coffee waste, everything that is of organic origin. Lime or ash, earth and animal dung.

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CONSTRUCTION OF THE SEED:

A Seedbed is an area of land specially prepared and conditioned to place the seeds in order to produce its germination under the least conditions and care, so that it can grow without difficulty until the seedling is ready for transplantation.

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The seedbed is the right place for the seed to begin its first phase of development. Then the plant will grow and will be transplanted to the final land. Start to remove the plants from the nursery: Transplant and plant seat: Once the seedlings have the right size, they must be removed well, transplanting them directly to the ground.

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In the transplant activity, the following recommendations should be followed: Before removing the plants from the nursery, it should be watered but not waterlogged. They will try to remove them without damaging the roots. Once a group of plants is selected the best ones are selected and the rest is discarded.

The land where the transplant is to be done must always be prepared before starting to remove the plants from the nursery. If we wish to work a nursery directly on the land, it must be prepared, furrows are made and the previously selected seeds are placed on them, leaving the necessary space between them. You should investigate what each plant needs. The plants, once they have been transplanted to their final place, must be taken care of and protected; that is why they require a series of tasks such as: Watering with abundant water, without overdoing it, to favor germination and development processes.

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After the land is prepared, furrows are made or the beds are built and the previously selected seeds are placed in them, leaving the necessary space between them.

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This irrigation is preferable to do it, in the afternoon or in the morning before the sun comes up. This irrigation is preferable to do it, in the afternoon or in the morning before the sun comes up. Aporcar It means to clothe; This work consists of throwing soil on the base of the stem of the plant (neck) with a triple purpose: That is more subject to the ground. Protect it from drought The roots are deeper and far from dryness. Promoting the appearance of new roots in the portion of stem that is now buried.

HOW SHOULD THE EARTH PREPARE TO MAKE A SCHOOL GARDEN?

It is prepared in the same way, as a garden is prepared.
The land must be deeply worked, in this way, the earth is loosened and the water will penetrate easily. It is paid with organic or chemical fertilizers (not recommended).
Continuous monitoring with weeding and water (drip irrigation system using recyclable material such as plastic bottles)
Serving also as a strategy to facilitate the development of an economic activity, and comprehensive application of different areas of knowledge.
The activities of the school garden favor the active development that is based on the constructive learning and the significant learning of the students. In this way, students will be able to understand the relationships with the environment to which they belong and give answers in an active, participatory and reflective way to the problems of their environment. In this way, the student builds his knowledge from the own reality of which part, the rural environment, level of conceptual development and the emotions and experiences that he draws from the world that surrounds him.

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FOR THE REALIZATION OF THIS ACTIVITY NEED TO CARRY OUT THE FOLLOWING:

-Form work teams to perform activities.
-Selection of the place where the garden was prepared.
-Collection of the materials that will be used for the preparation of the garden, which are:
-Pallas
-Potting soil
-Hoe
-Machete
-Pica
-Seeds

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ADVANTAGES OF THE GARDEN

The creation of an orchard is usable at school and also at home.

If it develops in the house.

It is an economic aid for the healthy feeding of the family.
It is a means of income, because if you take care with love and take advantage of its fruits,
The owner can sell his products on a small scale.

If it develops at school:

The harvested fruits can be used in the school restaurant.
The children take care of the garden and cultivate the products.
This is motivating and stimulating the creation of an orchard at home.
The products taken from the land that are not used in the school, can be sold in the community, the profits will allow to maintain the garden and buy materials for the school.

It is important to promote in each of the members of the educational community the good thing of having a school garden so that each day they understand the importance of taking care of the environment and all the benefits that this gives us besides creating awareness about the productive that can be for each and the community, with teamwork.

Thank you for taking a few minutes to read my article.