Gardening for KidsWith so many children gardening in our community garden, we need a place to share ideas on gardening with kids. With short attention spans and limited skills, kids’ needs require special attention in the garden.
This site has ideas gathered from research and observation for helping your kids get the most from their gardening experience.
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This 3 1/2 video will show you how to start seeds successfully. Avoid the disappointment of sickly or dead seedling when it is time to plant. Learn how to do it right.
It really is not hard to start your seeds off right. Even kids can do it themselves. This is a great confidence builder and it has the advantage of drawing kids into the magic of living things.
This video shows the use of sterilized trays and sterile commercial media. You can use alternate containers as long as they are cleaned in a 5% bleach solution (rinse afterward, of course). Although it shows the use of commercial seed trays, kids can use egg cartons, discarded drink cups, pre-used 6-packs from previous gardens, hand-made newspaper sleeves, etc. All of these alternatives make excellent recycling lessons.
A special note to parents:
Don’t pass up the chance to start a few peas in clear plastic cups (make some drain holes in the bottom, please). Fill the cups with media and place 3 peas around the edge, push them down along the side of the cup, about 3/4″ deep; the seeds should be visible through the plastic cup. Dampen the media and place them on a window sill in a sunny location. A sunny kitchen is ideal as the kids can check on the growth several times a day. As the seeds germinate, their entire root system can be seen and it makes a real impression on both kids and adults. Give it a try! And don’t forget to leave room in your garden for the plants the kids start this way – they love to watch them grow outside!
I’d appreciate your comments and thoughts.
Container vegetable gardening is a great way to get kids interested in gardening, and in the modern world, sometimes is the only way to get kids involved. A large percentage of families have no yard at all and containers are the only option. Another advantage is their mobility. Bringing pots inside for winter gardening extends the gardening year.
‘Containers’ covers a wide range of materials, from immovable raised beds to egg cartons. I have had my grandchildren present me with seeds germinated on cotton balls delivered in a plastic bag. usually, containers are pots in 1, 5 or 15 gallons in size. Smaller plants like herbs and flowers will do well in smaller pots while vegetables like tomatoes require the largest size.
The preferred pot is a non-glazed clay pot. The are classic in design and durable (if they are not dropped, that is). Their weight makes them more stable than lighter plastic pots. The porous design helps keep the pot from over-heating in the sun which can be a problem with black plastic pots.
Most pot are sold with a tray or basin meant to hold water leaking through the pots. These are a real problem as standing water promotes fungal diseases. If you must use a tray to collect water from the plants, at least elevate the pots so they don’t stand in water.
Potting media should be a soil-less mix as these are lighter and have better drainage than soil containing mixes. Since the pots only need to last one season, soil-less mixes will do well. Most now have timed-release fertilizer incorporated into their make up. Miracle-Gro and others produce usable media with time-release fertilizer already in them.
If you prefer to make your own mix, the usual mix consist of a blend of peat moss, perlite or vermiculite, compost and sand. The compost is organic material reduced to its most basic components and provides the fertilizer plants need. Even with compost, watering will leach nutrients from the soil and occasional fertilizers may be required. See this article on how to make compost.
Consider the overall area your fully grown plants will take up. If you have room, a full sized tomato in a 15 gallon pot will produce a huge amount of fruit, but smaller varieties are often a better choice.
Tomatoes are the most grown vegetable in the country and deserve special considerations. Cherry tomatoes are suitable for smaller areas and produce a large crop in a short period of time. Standard sizes can become huge and will need to be staked an/or caged.
Most cherry tomatoes are ‘determinate’ types, meaning their crop size is pre-determined by their genetics. They produce their fruit and are over.The clustered tomatoes ‘on the vine’ found in markets are determinate types, and all the fruit develops at once.
Indeterminate types, on the other hand, will produce fruit as long as they are fed, watered and the temperature range stays above 55 degrees at night. See this page or more information on recommended vegetable varieties.
A raised bed vegetable garden needs to be a comfortable height when designing a garden for kids. 8″ to 16″ tall beds are about the right height for a kneeling youngster. A heavy layer of wood chip mulch will cushion their knees when working, and it will also eliminate grass stains on their clothes.
Raised bed gardens meant for kids should not be too wide for them to reach the entire area easily. If it is not ease to reach, it only encourages walking on the garden soil. A comfortable width is 2′ if you only have access from one side. If both sides of the bed area open, 3′ is a better width.
Keeping off the garden soil is an important rule. Stepping on the damp earth will compact it, making it harder for roots to penetrate the soil. It also reduces the amount of air and water the soil can retain, and walking near a plan can shear off large portions of the root system.
The raised edges of the garden, while not being a barrier, are more of a reminder to stay in the path.
Click here to read more about raised bed vegetable garden construction.
A young gardener at work in a raised bed vegetable garden
Kids love raised bed vegetable gardening. It is so much easier to get close to your plants, and a raised bed makes working on your garden easier, too. The young gardener pictured finds the bed edging a good support while she works away.
Safety is an extremely important consideration where children are concerned. Care should be taken to smooth all wood surfaces, make sure no nails or screws are exposed, and that the area is free from sharp objects and tools.
Raised bed vegetable gardening promotes fine, loose garden soil, and heavy or sharp tools should not be needed. All the kids will need is a hand trowel to dig and a small hand rake to smooth soil.
Watering:
Kids’ favorite tools include a watering can in a small size; hoses are popular, but due to the possible jetting and erosion a child with a hose can cause, a watering can is much safer for the garden.
Adults should handle any heavy work, or tasks requiring sharp blades.
Click here to learn more about growing vegetables in mild climates.