The PaperTowel for Sprouting Growth

If you're older, you may remember the old bean sprouts trick . In the 60's 70's , as kids, we had the great enjoyment in science class in elementary school of learning about plant growth, through a paper towel. 

That sounds funny huh?
Well, we did. 
One of our science projects, was to watch a Bean's growth from a damp paper towel. Of course, I missed this due to illnesses. But I still got to see my classmates do it. This is not only a good time to have extra time with your child, but a great way for them to learn about plant growth. 

You take a paper towel, fold it in quarters, and put a bean seed in one section of the fold, then spray a little water on the paper, and cover it with the other side of the fold. You set it in a sunny place, and check to make sure there's a little dampness to the paper towel every few days. In a few weeks, you have a young bean sprout ready to be planted.

At this point you'll want to get a styrofoam cups, toothpick, and some good soil. Poke a hole in the bottom of the styrofoam cup for drainage, then fill it with soil. Plant your bean sprouts, and you're on your way to the beginning of a veggie garden. 
Any bean will do. This a great way to encourage the little gardener in your child and to teach the importance of preserving the environment. Not only that, but it's a fantastic time to spend with your child. 

Putting a bean seed sort of nudges the seed along a bit. Beans are pretty quick comer uppers anyhow, so it really doesn't make a whole lot of difference. You could out one in the ground just as well, but there's some sort of fisination to it when you get to watch it develop in a paper towel. I think it's the science of it all, and the extreme astonishment of the quick developments. That us maybe we become absorbed because it reminds us of our own growth in the womb. Either way, it is very interesting to watch it as it grows.

Another good seed to sprout this way is the sweet pea. It grows very fast and can be enjoyed with a view. Then, when they have grown to an inch or so, and they appear as if they need room, it's time to trnsplant them I to a good partially sunny spot. In just a matter of weeks they will be ready to harvest. They are a delicious addition to a salad, or cooked for dinner with a little butter, and a few baby carrots, which are small, and  blend perfectly with the peas.

Another, and I think the best is the onion. They're lush green, have a nice straight stalk, will only get about 8 or, 10 inches tall, and can be thinned on a regular basis, or left to fully produce. When pulled up, they can be cut just like your using green onions in the store. Replant the leftovers if you like. That way you'll have plenty .WARNING: These produce a bountiful batch. Be prepared to give some away, or store. They grow pretty quick too. And can be grown indoors.

Basil is another quick one. Beans, but they get a little big. Kale (they can be grown in a raised bed.(like a cardboard box.Use creativeness.)dwarf carrots (can use a deep cardboard box with potting soil. Harvest when they start pushing up carrots. (Box, about 6-8 in deep. Carrots root straight down.)


I hope you have fun gardening. 

MRBD
2013



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