Colander Gardens for Kids
Reading Time: 4 minutes
Are there children in your world who are “greens challenged?” If this sounds familiar, you know how stubborn they can be about eating salad greens. Maybe it’s the texture they don’t like. Perhaps the greens are too bitter for their sensitive palettes.
Here’s the solution: If you want the little ones to become more adventurous with eating healthy salad greens, let them grow their own salad bowl garden! Limited space? No worries; all you need is a bit of space that gets some sun.
Salad bowl gardens are practical and budget-friendly, too. Many greens are “cut and come again,” so you can have a perpetual garden all season long. Cut the greens down to soil level, and new growth starts quickly.
Just about any container with good soil and drainage works for container gardening. Advantages of gardening this way include the ability to relocate the container depending upon the weather. Plus, roots and soil are entirely enclosed, so there are no worries about weeds and pests.
This year, colander gardens are popular. And pricey! Make your own at a fraction of the cost. Find inexpensive colanders at thrift or dollar stores.
As far as what to grow, the choices are endless. You can plant a single variety of greens or a mix and let the little ones help you choose.
You don’t have to stop there, either. Think of companion vegetables like radishes and perhaps small carrots, and plant those in another suitable colander. Small herb varieties are fun to grow and can be snipped as they grow to add to salads and dressings.
The nice thing for impatient kids is that most salad greens germinate quickly. They love to watch the growth process, and nutritional rewards are a bonus.
Container gardening would also be a timely, worthwhile, and budget-friendly project for summer camp. When the greens are harvested, you can let the children dip the greens in a salad dressing or a yogurt-based dip.
Make Your Colander Salad Garden
For a more substantial “salad experience,” let them choose greens and vegetables to build a yummy, nutritious, layered salad with homemade dressing. This hands-on activity fosters confidence, creativity, and the willingness to try something new.
What You’ll Need
- Colander (they come in different sizes, so check depth requirements for plants and go from there)
- Coffee filters
- Potting soil mix
- Seeds: leaf and other lettuces and greens including spinach, chard (rainbow chard is fun), arugula, or your choice
- Spray bottle or sprinkler-type watering can
- Label: popsicle stick
Instructions
- Line a colander with coffee filters to keep soil in and allow good drainage.
- Tape coffee filters if necessary to adhere to colander. Moisten evenly.
- Pour soil in 3/4 of the way up. Tamp down to smooth.
- Sprinkle seeds evenly over surface. You can sprinkle on a good amount of seeds.
- Pour a tiny bit of soil on top of seeds, just enough to cover.
- Tamp down gently.
- Water very lightly and gently. This is where a spritz bottle comes in handy.
- Add label and date. You can tape the seed packet on a popsicle stick.
- Place in sunny spot.
- Water as needed. Keep evenly moist but not soggy.
- Watch closely — in a week or so, you’ll see all those tiny seeds sprouting.
- Some varieties are ready to eat in 3 weeks.
- As the greens grow, cut at soil level. New growth appears in a few days.
LAYERED SALAD
Except for the greens, all the toppings are optional. You can use just about any vegetable, bean, or seed, and this is a good opportunity for kids to try something new.
Make layers on a platter or individual plates:
- Mixed salad greens, torn if necessary, into bite-size pieces
- Sliced cucumbers
- Sliced tomatoes
- Sliced red onion
- Hard-boiled egg slices
- Chickpeas
- Minced herbs
- Olives
- Dried or fresh seasonal fruit
- Flax seeds
- Your favorite cheese
Three-Ingredient Balsamic Dressing
Ingredients
- ¾ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 nice clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup olive or other oil
Instructions
Shake everything together in a jar or whisk in a bowl.
Good add-ins:
A squirt of Dijon mustard or a palmful of minced herbs.
HONEY MUSTARD DRESSING
Go to taste on ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup vinegar
- 1/3 cup honey
- ¼ cup yellow mustard
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- Shake of cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
Shake everything together in a jar or whisk in a bowl.
Creamy Italian Dressing
If you like, add a drizzle of honey or a few pinches of sugar to the dressing. If the dressing is too thick, thin it with a little water.
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- Minced white or other onion to taste — start with 1 generous tablespoon and go from there.
- 2 to 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parmesan cheese, shredded, to taste (optional)
Instructions
Whisk everything together.
TIPS
Herbs in Colanders
Herbs are a good bet, too. Smaller, dwarf varieties do well.
Here are some suggestions:
- Minette basil
- Miniature thymes
- Blue boy or prostrate rosemary
- Dwarf sage
- Chives
Growing Radishes and Carrots
- Grow together if you like.
- Plant a small variety of carrots in the center of a colander, which is the deepest part.
- Radishes can be planted near the outside edge.
- Radishes will be ready in about 3 weeks; carrots in about 6, depending upon variety.
Originally published in the May/June 2023 issue of Countryside and Small Stock Journal and regularly vetted for accuracy.
