Archive for April, 2008

Here is the checklist for the Gardening Tip Video “How To Grow A Magic Bean”.

We suggest you print out the checklist and use it when you plant your Magic Beans.

Click on the “Blue” Link to open and then Print. Checklist – How To Grow A Magic Bean.

http://www.philthegardener.com

 

 How To Grow A Magic Bean: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1226)

Grow Your Own Magic Beans

Project One See How Seeds Grow
You will need:
Beans
An empty peanut butter jar, plastic cup, coffee can…. see below for a list of containers
Paper towels
Water

Start Here:
Crumple paper towels 2 or 3 and place in jar.
Poke the beans along the sides of the jar about half way down the side.
Pour about 1 inch of water in the jar to keep the towels moist.
Place jar in cabinet under the kitchen sink or any other dark place.
In a few days the seeds will swell, the roots will seek out the water and
leaves will appear.
Check your beans every couple of days, make a note of how they are growing in your
journal, and put the container back under the sink until it has leaves.
Make Notes in your journal.

Project Two Grow Your Own Magic Beans
You will need:
Large Bush Beans or Lima Beans from the seed store or even the market.
One gallon flower pot
Potting soil
Water
Awl or ice pick

Start Here:
Make sure the pot has holes in the bottom for drainage.
If you need to poke holes in the bottom use an ice pick, awl, or hammer and nail.
(Caution: Parents supervise and help your kids to make sure they are safe at all times, especially when using sharp instruments.)
Fill the pot with potting soil and level the top. (Do not press or compact the soil)
With your finger, make a hole about an inch deep.
Make two holes in each pot an drop a seed in each hole.
Label each pot so you will know what you planted in that pot.
Water the pot and place in a warm dark place. Maybe under your kitchen sink or in a closet.
Water every day.
When shoot pop out of the soil, move the pots to a sunny place on your back porch or in a sunny window.
Keep the soil moist.
Write in your journal each day how much the Magic Beans have grown.

Containers you can use to grow your Magic Beans.
bushel and peck baskets
fishbowl
clay pots
plastic pots
old drawers
plastic buckets
waste baskets
dishpans
seashells
eggshells
bleach bottles – cut off top and rinse out very well
2 liter soda bottles
glass jars
paper cups
milk cartons
juice cartons
soup cans
coffee cans
pie tins
cake pans
muffin tins
shoe boxes
old shoes

http://www.philthegarden.com

 

 Protecting Plants From Cold Nights [1:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (256)

When cool or cold nights occur you will want to protect your tender plants. If they are close to the house and semi-protected they may survive everything but a severe freeze. You can drive three to four poles around individual shrubs and drape a cloth over them on frost killing nights. If the weather stays cold and you know the plants won’t withstand long periods of cold you can dig them up and put them in a protected area or if they are in containers you can move them in on your back porch or shed out of the freeze zone.

http://www.philthegardener.com