Cylinder Gardening Basics

What is Cylinder Gardening?

The Texas AgriLife Extension Service is proud to offer the Cylinder Gardening in Harris County. Participants in the program learn to grow vegetables from seed to harvest in one semester. The program is great for school age children and can be used in classrooms, afterschool programs and homeschools or with other groups and clubs. A curriculum written at the 3rd grade level along with most materials needed for the project are donated by the Harris County Master Gardener Association.

How is it done?

Cylinder Gardening uses bottomless cylinders (1/2 of a 3 or 5 gallon bucket) as small, individual gardens for growing vegetables. This works especially well in areas with poor soil that normally need extensive amendments and labor to support an actively producing garden.

Why is it better?

Cylinder gardening requires little land and little pre-gardening preparation or experience. Once the cylinders are filled and planted, the only labor is minor maintenance, watering and harvesting. Plants mature from seed in 30 to 90 days. Installation and removal of garden is quick and clean.

Research shows that by growing plants, children will not only learn about science and the environment but they will also gain a sense of pride, responsibility and determination. Children growing vegetables will also learn about where their food comes from and have better nutritional habits...because they enjoying eating what they grow!

The Cylinder Gardening program began in 1986 under the leadership of the Men's Garden Club of Houston, the Harris County Master Gardener Association and the Harris County office of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

Butterfly Gardening Curriculum

A butterfly gardening curriculum is also available through Cylinder Gardening. Students will plant a small butterfly garden in cylinders or as a traditional garden. Written at the 3rd grade level, the curriculum provides instructions for garden set up and 6 easy to use lessons to use as learning activities with the butterfly garden. A teacher's guide is available for each teacher utilizing the garden. One set of supplies includes 10 cylinders, organic fertilizer and milkweed, passionvine, fennel, dill and cosmos seed. Feel free to add you own butterfly plants to the mix.

To register for this exciting program visit our registration page.