Muintir na Tire School Garden Competition

                     Closing Date Extended to  Friday 17th April 2026   Cork School Garden Competition 2026 Official Entry Form – Fill in form Sponsored by Cork County and Cork City Councils the Annual Cork Schools Garden  competition is open to all primary schools in  Cork      who have a school garden or are in the process of developing one.  Cork School Garden Competition Who Can Enter Cork Schools Garden  competition is open to all primary schools in Cork   who have a school garden or are in the process of developing one. The Annual School Gardencompetition is open to primary schools in  Cork   City and  County  only. We encourage full-school participation where possible, including students, teachers, SNA’s, office staff, caretakers and parents The entry must be approved by the school principal.  This year we will be looking closely at: The learning exper...

  The Lord Mayor of Cork urges Primary Schools in the City to enter Cork School Garden           Competition   for 2026   LtR.    Una Leader, Scientist for Environmental Awareness, Green Schools and Circular Economy Cork City Council. The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Fergal Dennehy and Cathy Davis and Bethany Elvins    of St. Mary’s Special School Rochestown at the launch of the Cork School Garden Competition in Atkins GardenWorld Atkins Garden World was the venue as the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Feargal Dennehy launched the annual School Garden competition for Primary Schools in Cork City. Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Fergal Dennehy  emphasized the significance of school and community gardens in promoting Cork City Council’s biodiversity initiatives. He remarked, “These initiatives play a crucial role in our aim to achieve net-zero carbon emissions within the next decade. Cork City Council takes pride in collaborating...

  The Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr. Mary Linehan Foley with pupils of Coachford National School Seán Murray and Mia Malinovska at the launch of the Cork School Garden Competition in Atkins GardenWorld. The Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr. Mary Linehan Foley with pupils of Coachford National School Seán Murray and Mia Malinovska at the launch of the Cork School Garden Competition in Atkins GardenWorld. L-R Ger Barry, Director of Services Planning and Environment, Cork County Council, Aida Goold, Senior Executive Officer Cork County Council, Sean Murray Coachford National School, the Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr. Mary Linehan Foley, Mia Malinovska Coachford National School, Katherine Corkery Planning & Environment Directorate Cork County Council, Conor Nelligan Heritage Officer Cork County Council at the launch of the Cork School Garden Competition in Atkins GardenWorld. Pupils of Coachford National School Seán Murray and Mia Malinovska at the launch of the Cork School G...

 

  Brussels Sprouts While many people will only associate Brussels sprouts with Christmas dinner, you can (and should) enjoy this veg for most of the year. Not only are their tons of nutritional benefits from eating sprouts, they also play a vital role in the winter veg garden for many GIYers. While they do have a long growing season (8 months), they are extremely prolific – just three or four plants will produce a mound of produce in the lean winter months, with each healthy plant producing up to 2kg of sprouts. SOWING Dig in some well-rotted manure or apply a general fertiliser a week before sowing. Do not grow Brussels sprouts anywhere that you have grown any member of the cabbage family the previous year (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, collards and kale). The best way to manage all these veg is to create a crop rotation scheme prior to growing. Sow in March or April in module trays indoors. Sow one seed per module, 2cm deep. GROWING Transplant when p...

  Spring Onions (Scallions) Easy to grow, useful and deliciously mild, spring onions (also known as scallions) are the quintessential salad crop. They can be grown in containers or anywhere you have some space. They are also relatively problem free so they are an ideal veg for beginner growers. SOWING Spring onions can be sown direct or in modules. If sowing direct, sow from March to June thinly, 1cm deep, in rows 15cm apart. If sowing in modules you can also sow around 10 seeds, 1cm deep per module from March to June. Transplant modules 15cm apart in 15cm rows, when the plants are around 10cm tall. GROWING Weed control is very important. Hoe between the rows to keep weeds down and hand weed along the rows. For the direct sown crop, it can be difficult to control grass weeds as they look very similar to the young onion seedlings. HARVESTING Harvest by carefully removing the largest onions and leaving the remainder to grow on. TIPS Spring onions are great raw in salads, but they are...

  Yacon Yacon looks like a very large potato, but it has a surprisingly sweet, apple-like taste and a juicy texture. It’s creating quite the buzz among nutritionists because of the unusual way it stores its carbs, as indigestible sugar (insulin) rather than starch. It is therefore highly promising as a way to introduce sweetness into the diet of diabetics. SOWING Yacon will grow in any reasonably fertile soil but will be most productive in soil with compost and a general fertiliser added a week or two before. Yacon is grown from tubers from last year’s crop. There are two types of tubers – the knobbly ‘stem’ tubers that grow just under the surface around the stalk of the plant and look a lot like Jerusalem artichokes, and the large, smooth edible tubers that grow outside of these. The former are the ones used for propagating the following year’s crop, while the latter are for eating. Separate the knobbly tubers in March, making sure you have a growth point on each. Plant each one i...

  Salad Leaves - Oriental Greens Salad leaves are one of the most popular veg to grow in your garden. Leaf greens are always at their tastiest when just harvested from the ground, so you can enjoy salad leaves at their peak if you grow at home rather than buying from a local supermarket. Salad leaves come in a huge variety, from classic rocket to oriental greens, such as mizuna and oriental mustard. They are also some of the easiest veg to grow, so are an ideal veg for children to grow. SOWING Salad leaves can be sown outside from April to August and in a polytunnel or glasshouse from January to October. For best results we recommend sowing direct into the soil – they can be sown in modules and transplanted, but this often results in them flowering (bolting). Sow the seed thinly 1cm deep in rows 15cm apart. You will need to sow regularly if you want a continuous supply of salad – every 2 or 3 weeks – as they often bolt after 2 or 3 harvests. If you have decided to transplant, plant...