Eco-friendly parenting

irishecomom

Hello all,

Just wondering how eco-friendly you all think your parenting is. What things do you do to encourage your child to live more green?

Myself and my two year old have just started growing carrots! Nothing major just a pot with three seeds out the back garden but she gets a great thrill out of watering them.

Also, is there any eco-friendly forum on boards.ie? I am trying to live the green life as much as possible and save a bit in the process and decided to come on here to chat but doesnt seem to be anywhere here that has anything like that.

Nevyn

Sustainability & Environmental Issues

deisemum

I'm eco-friendly with some things and not with others.

I'm growing a variety of vegetables and some fruit. I recommend sowing some potatoes in sacks as they're so easy to do. I've a lot of seeds germinating at the moment.

I encourage my children to recycle as much as possible, not to change outfits several times a day leading to more washing. Big challenge is trying to get them to switch of the tv once they're finished watching it and also switching off lights after them.

They've learnt a lot about recycling and green things in school.

irishecomom

Never heard of growing potatoes in sacks. Sounds interesting can you give me more information on how you do it? Would love to try something like that! Are potatoes something which can be grown all year?

I think its great for getting my daughter out in the fresh air!

deisemum

Here's a video demonstration on how to grow potatoes in a bag, you can also use plastic bags such as strong bin bags, empty compost bags, sacks, I use large bags just like the large canvas type shopping bags in supermarkets that cost about €2 each except mine are hessian. Deep crates, buckets etc will work

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkB0E4RCBFU&feature=related

I recycle yogurt cartons which are ideal for sowing seeds and once they've germinated then transplant them into bigger pots or straight into the ground.

Last Sunday I sow some courgette seeds and they're already 2" high, I also sowed a variety of peas, beans, lettuces and oriental mixed leafs. Save the cardboard tube inserts from toilet rolls/kitchen rolls and use these to germinate deep rooted plants such as beans and peas. Keep the plastic trays that meat/veg come in and use them for sowing seeds etc.

If you've got old plastic crates recycle them and use them as containers for sowing vegetables.

littlebug

I grew potatoes in all sorts last year.... old tesco reusable shopping bags that were beyond use for shopping, the plastic buckets that I got bird nuts in and even an old nappy bin. The kids wrote their names on the ones that they planted and had good fun watering and watching "their" own spuds grow. I have 2 small veg beds and had more potatoes, carrots, lettuce, brocolli and scallions. Thinking of adding peas this year. Oh and we used our own compost with a small amount of bought compost mixed in.

Victor

irishecomom wrote: »

Myself and my two year old have just started growing carrots! Nothing major just a pot with three seeds out the back garden but she gets a great thrill out of watering them.

Be careful not to over water. Also, not all of the seeds will germinate and not all of the carrots will grow to full size, so 3 seeds might be too few.

Also consider peas (you can use the dried ones that come in boxes). They have flowers and can be a clearer at what stage you can harvest them. Some sort of support would be useful as they grow tall (about a metre) and thin.

The sacks idea is useful for the potatoes as you never know if you dug them all out of the garden or not. Just be careful they aren't moved or dry out.

irishecomom

Victor wrote: »

Be careful not to over water. Also, not all of the seeds will germinate and not all of the carrots will grow to full size, so 3 seeds might be too few.

Also consider peas (you can use the dried ones that come in boxes). They have flowers and can be a clearer at what stage you can harvest them. Some sort of support would be useful as they grow tall (about a metre) and thin.

The sacks idea is useful for the potatoes as you never know if you dug them all out of the garden or not. Just be careful they aren't moved or dry out.

I have two pots one with just three seeds and the other quite a few. Didnt know which would work best. How long should they take? Also is it possible to plant veg all year long or would is be seasonal?

Victor

There are only a few garden crops that you can do all year round like various cabbages and herbs. However peas are quite quick growing.

Most crops should be planted in the next two months for harvest around August-September, although some will have a good spread. We used to have a glasshouse and have tomatoes from July to October. Other than that we had grapes (very rare in Ireland), potatoes, carrots, peas, onions, cabbage / cauliflower, beetroot, rhubarb, thyme, blackcurrants and gooseberries. Next door neighbour also had cooking apples so they were swapped for tomatoes.

Some farms crops get two growing seasons although I understand the winter crops are mostly used for animal feed.

Check out the gardening forum and read the instruction on the seed packets for planting times.

irishecomom

Thanks for the great info!

silverharp

try to buy more second hand stuff and sell or free cycle the stuff you are done with. We have noticed that while there is a market out there for free cycled stuff, its hard to sell stuff on.

irishecomom

Would like to get my hands on a second hand wormery or compost bin. Any suggestions to which site would be best?

deisemum

Try www.jumbletown.ie as you can find allsorts on it and it's all free.

You could always make your own compost bin by using wood such as old pellets.

irishecomom

Great thanks for the link! Think I'll have a busy day ahead of me!