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Basic 3 · Our World and Our People · Plants and Animals

Making a Garden

In this topic you will learn how to make a school or home garden.

By the end of these notes you should be able to:

  • Choose a good site for a garden
  • Prepare the land and make beds
  • Plant seeds correctly

What you already know

  • Germination (Basic 3 Science)

Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.

Strand
All Around Us
Sub-strand
Plants and Animals
Indicator
B3.2.2.1.1 – Explain how to make and maintain a garden

Introduction

The Basic 3 class wants to grow okra and maize. First they must make a garden.

1. Steps in Making a Garden

  1. Choose a site with sunlight and near water.
  2. Clear the weeds and rubbish.
  3. Dig (till) the soil with a hoe.
  4. Make raised beds.
  5. Add manure or compost.
  6. Plant seeds in rows at the right spacing.
  7. Water the beds.
Pupils clearing land, digging with hoes and planting seeds in beds
Figure 1: Making a garden Draw a garden bed with rows of seeds.Illustration: Sirbus

2. Tools for Gardening

Garden tools
ToolUse
hoedigging and weeding
cutlassclearing bush
rakelevelling the soil
watering canwatering plants
dibber or stickmaking holes for seeds

New words

garden
A piece of land where plants are grown.
bed
A raised strip of soil for planting.
manure
Animal waste used to make soil rich.
spacing
The distance between plants.

Summary

  • Choose a sunny site near water.
  • Clear, dig, make beds and add manure.
  • Plant seeds in rows and water them.

Class activity: Our Class Garden

  1. Use the hand hoe to prepare a small bed.
  2. Plant okra and maize seeds in rows.
  3. Water them with the watering can.

You need: Okra, Maize seeds, Hand hoe, Watering can

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

  1. 1. Which tool is used for digging?

    • A. Hoe
    • B. Watering can
    • C. Bucket
    • D. Pen
    Show answer
    Answer: HoeHoes dig the soil.

  2. 2. Why do we add manure?

    • A. To make the soil rich
    • B. To kill plants
    • C. To make soil hard
    • D. To attract snakes
    Show answer
    Answer: To make the soil richManure feeds the soil.

  3. 3. A garden needs sunlight.

    • A. True
    • B. False
    Show answer
    Answer: TruePlants need sunlight.

  4. 4. Seeds should be planted very close together with no spacing.

    • A. True
    • B. False
    Show answer
    Answer: FalsePlants need space to grow.

  5. 5. A raised strip of soil for planting is a ______.

    Show answer
    Answer: bedThat is a bed.

  6. 6. Write three steps in making a garden.

    Show answer
    Answer: Any three: choose a site, clear, dig, make beds, add manure, plant, water.These are garden steps.

Homework

  1. Help an adult plant something at home.