Whanganui Collegiate School
School Vege Challenge 2022
Harvest Time & Judging
Mid Challenge Update
In the last week of the Collegiate school term, I visited the school to check out their vegetable garden. I met David, a year 13 Student from Selwyn House. He has been the main gardener for the Whanganui Collegiate School Vege Garden Challenge.
He has a healthy crop of broccoli growing as well as lettuce and Pak Choi ready for harvest. There was also beetroot seedlings that are putting on good growth – all the seedlings were those we had given him from Zealandia. David informed me of his successful battle against slugs, snails, and caterpillars. Thanks to the organic nature’s way insect spray from Yates and Tui Quash slug bait.
Trying to figure out where David got his green thumb from, I asked him if his parents were gardeners. He said ‘nope, Mum hates gardening and Dad loves machines’.
Seeing an aptitude for gardening I was kept digging for where it came from. We talked some more and found out he has grown up knowing how things grow, implementing pest control when needed, feeding, and improving the soil on a family cropping farm.
This is the first vegetable garden at the school. It is located beside a school orchard that was planted in the last few years. They were very thankful for the starter kit and have bought a second vegetable bed from Eastown Timber. This looks to be a project for next term with it sitting ready to be constructed beside the one we gave them. They have got seeds from yates that we gave them growing on which will fill this second bed.
It was great to meet David he represented his school well. I’m looking forward to seeing the garden again in a couple of months.
Getting Going
The students of Whanganui Collegiate School are looking forward to the School Vege Challenge:
“This will be great for our houses.”
“It’ll be great to see our students getting involved in gardening.”
“I think this would be a great start to get everyone involved.”
