How Kids Can Garden
Gardening is an amazing adventure that every child should have the chance to get involved with. Gardening teaches the world how to grow plants for food, air, decoration, and resources. Without plants, human life would vanish. We would have nothing to eat and no oxygen to breathe! Therefore, it is important that as the human population of the world grows, that those people learn how to take care of themselves. Gardening is one of those important self sufficiency tasks we all need to be able to handle, so why not learn how to garden today?
What Can Kids Learn from Gardening?
Gardening has a lot that it can teach children. Kids can learn how to grow their own food, how to start their own nursery, how plants are important in the world, and why it is important to know how to raise plants properly. Many kids lack the knowledge of basic gardening skills, something that is actually rather alarming. Just 100 years ago, most kids had quite advanced skills in gardening. With the urbanization of today's culture, this important life skill is no longer a part of a child's daily life.
Plants are important in numerous ways, for both the environment and humans. Plants are at the bottom of the food chain, meaning the chain could not survive without them. If plants died off, almost all life on Earth would cease to exist. There would be virtually nothing to convert carbon dioxide to oxygen; something 99% of life on Earth requires to exist. They provide food for sea life such as fish and plankton, which in turn feeds the fish we humans eat such as Tuna, Salmon, and Tilapia. They also feed grazing animals such as cattle, and bugs which in turn feed animals such as chickens. In addition, we humans eat plants as well. Our salads, berries, fruits, and even our syrups and sugars come from plants. Did you know chocolate comes from a bean too?
Having a basic knowledge of plants and their upkeep requirements allows kids to have a fighting chance should they ever have to fend for themselves in the wake of a worldwide disaster. It seems like it would be simple: plant, water, harvest. However, each plant is different. There are different substrates that are needed (such as soil, sand, clay, pebbles, etc), different amounts of water, different amounts of light, and varying amounts of days until harvest. Having a basic understanding of a few different critical species is highly important.
Growing one's own food, whether necessary or not, is a very rewarding experience. To be able to say you grew the greens in your salad, the watermelon for your birthday party, or the apples for your pie is a huge boost to one's self esteem. Plus, the food will taste the BEST when it comes straight from the garden. Pesticide FREE gardening will keep poisons out of your system, while planting heirloom plant seeds will help you steer clear of GMO foods. Genetically modified foods have caused great worry across the world, even though there isn't a large amount of scary evidence to back up the concerns.
One more great benefit to growing plants is the ability to open one's own nursery and farmer's market! Selling home grown foods and plants is a great way to supply the local area with fresh, home grown, pesticide free options. People who live in urban areas don’t get to grow their own foods, but desperately wish that they could. Especially when they see that icky waxy film that covers most of the produce at the grocery store!
What Supplies Do Kids Need to Get Started?
In all honesty, kids only need a packet of seeds, a shovel, some land, and something to water their plants with! They can get started with under $5, but there are tons of items out there that will greatly increase their chances of success. If there is a little more money at their disposal, they could try starting out with any number of items below.
Seed Starters: Seed starters are peat pellets or miniature trays for starting seedlings. They usually give seedlings the best head start, as they are loaded full of nutrients and usually come with a dome that allows sunlight in, trapping heat and humidity in favor of germination.
Pots and Planters: Pots are great if you intend on growing herb buckets, small micro gardens, or small floral varieties in order to place them in your nursery for sale. You can get them for bulk prices, or you can splurge on adorable pots for the plants.
Fertilizers: Fertilizers are important for various crops. Not all soil is created equal. This means many plants may not find the nutrients they need in a given section of soil, while others might thrive. There are many information resources out there for fertilizer information, like this one.
Potting Soil/Top Soil: If there is the possibility of obtaining some potting soil or top soil, it would be a great idea. This nutrient rich soil can help boost growth in plants. It’s not necessary, but the nutrients help to fill in where the natural soil is lacking. It is also perfect just for starting the seedlings to get them that extra early boost.
Domes for Seedlings: Domes are important to have when the seedlings are germinating. They provide the perfect environment for the seeds to begin to grow, and this environment continues to nurture the seedling as it becomes established. Plus, kids enjoy watching the seedlings as they first begin to sprout. It’s the first victory in gardening for the children.
Irrigation Systems: Irrigation systems are extremely costly for beginner gardeners, and I recommend doing it the old fashioned way unless the kid becomes a hardcore gardener with lots of plants. However, they can be the most reliable method of watering plants. They can be set on timers, work with water limits, and can be snaked through every inch of the garden. They completely eliminate the need for hand watering too!
Landscaping Cloth: Landscaping cloth is an excellent way to escape the majority of weeding. All you have to do is place it over the gardening plot, cut small holes where you want to plant, and enjoy the fact that weeds and grass cannot grow over the landscape cloth! It’s exhilarating after years of having to weed!
Raised Beds: Raised beds are another popular choice for gardeners. They make tending easy, and the garden is much less likely to flood during the spring and early summer. They are also quite attractive and can keep invasive species out of the garden.
