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Gardening with Children
It is important for children to know how their food is grown. Here are some helpful tips to grow their interest in gardening!
1. Invite your children to join you in planning your garden, talk about the vegetables they like to eat. Let them have fun by drawing what they envision their garden to be.
2. Take them with you to pick up seeds and a container, add some child sized gloves and tools for added interest.
3. Sunflower seeds are a good starter. Keep the seeds they choose to a minimum, have them look closely to notice the differences between seeds such as size, colour and shape.
4. Read the instructions on the packet with them carefully. Time and length of growing season along with other important information will make it easier to decide which ones are best suited for your area.
Tips to provide care from outside invaders
1. If possible, cover newly planted seeds with protective materials such as lightweight plastic or garden cloths. One can also provide a bit shelter with small branches.
2. Keep areas moist at all times.
3. Daily checking is essential for good growth and health of the garden.
Tips for successive sowing
Keep seeds in a neat row. When plants are mature enough, pull from the ground and start new seeds in the same row. If possible, seeds should be of a different variety. Before new seeds go into the ground, be sure that the garden row is richly augmented with good compost and organic fertilizer. Mix it well with the existing soil.
Contributed by Asna Black, Chinguacousy Garden Club
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