Gardening is one of the best activities you can choose for you and your kids as your hobby. Beginner gardeners and kids alike will learn with gardening responsibility, patience, and a love for nature.
If you are a beginner, here are some basic gardening skills you need to develop over time:
1. Choosing the Right Plants
Beginner and kids should start with easy-to-grow plants. Those are forgiving and grow quickly. These plants show results in a short amount of time, keeping you and your kids engaged.
Easy-to-grow Plants
Easy-to-grow plants are herbs like parsley, mint, basil, rosemary but also lettuce, onion are easy and quick to grow. Also, flowers like calendula and daisy are easy and quick to grow from a seed.
Herbs can be grown in small pots, if you don’t have a garden. Some of them like mint, rosemary and parsley are quite hardy and super exciting for kids because of their smells.
2. Choose the right soil
When you are a beginner you need first to understand the tree basic types of soil: clay, sand, and loam.
Loam is ideal as it balances drainage and moisture retention. Look for pre-mixed potting soils labeled for general use or specifically for beginners, which often contain a mix of peat, perlite, and vermiculite. These mixes are designed to be forgiving, promoting good root growth and aeration.
If gardening in pots, ensure the soil is lightweight and contains nutrients.
For garden beds, test your soil or start with bagged garden soil to ensure it’s not too compact like clay or too sandy.
3. Planting Seeds
After you chose the right soil. It’s time to learn how to fill pots or garden beds with soil, making small holes for seeds.
Planting
Learn together how deep to plant seeds (often twice the size of the seed) and how to cover them gently with soil.
Watering
Always water gently with a small watering can or spray bottle to avoid washing away the seeds.
4. Watering Skills
Plants need water but not too much. A general rule is to water when the top inch of soil feels dry.
You need always to water at the base of the plant rather than over the leaves to prevent diseases.
5. Sunlight and Placement
Always make sure that you understand the sunlight needs of the plant.
Some plants like lots of sun and others prefer shade. Most vegetables love full sun, while some flowers might need partial shade.
Decide accordingly with your child where in the garden or on the windows the plants should go.
6. Weeding and Care
Learn to recognize weeds starts with observing plant behavior and appearance. Weeds often grow faster and in more places than your intended plants, popping up where they’re not wanted. Look for plants with vigorous growth, especially in areas you didn’t plant. Common weeds have broad leaves (like dandelions) or thin, grass-like blades (like crabgrass). They might have different leaf shapes, colors, or textures than your garden plants. Check if they produce lots of seeds or spread aggressively.
Use a gardening app or book to identify common local weeds by comparing leaves, flowers, and growth patterns. Remember, persistence is key in weed control.
When you recognize them gently pull them out to reduce competition for nutrients.
Pest Management
Use natural methods like picking off bugs by hand or using companion planting to deter pests.
7. Harvesting
Harvesting is knowing when and how to pick your crops. Look for signs like color change (like tomatoes turning red) or size (beans being plump). Use clean, sharp scissors or your fingers to harvest, cutting or snapping just above the plant’s base. For leafy greens, take outer leaves first, allowing the plant to keep growing. Handle produce gently to avoid bruising.
Harvest in the morning when plants are hydrated for the best flavor. Regular harvesting encourages more growth. Always wash your harvest before eating.
Remember, timing and technique are key to successful harvesting.
8. Recycling and Composting
You can simply compost food scraps and garden waste to make soil for future planting.
9. Patience and Observation
Watching how the plants grow is the fun part both for beginner gardeners and for kids. Daily checks on the plants to observe changes, which also teaches patience as they wait for growth.
Safety Tips
- Always supervise kids when using tools or dealing with soil that might contain pests or chemicals.
- Teach them to wash hands after gardening to clean off dirt and possible germs.
Gardening is fun, hands-on education, a must real life skill, and rewarding for children. Remember to keep it simple, fun, and age-appropriate.
Love Nature!