by Barbara Stanley

Created on: July 06, 2008   Last Updated: October 29, 2008

Young children are fascinated by the fact that a seed can be buried in the dirt and emerge as a seedling a few days later. By allowing your children to participate in all aspects of gardening at a young age, they will have a knowledge of the cost and labor involved in producing the food that feeds the world. Some children have been known to actually eat some of the vegetables they grew themselves!

For children ages 5 through 8, select a garden spot of six feet by three feet. This is enough area to grow three vegetables that your children normally eat. Select seeds that germinate fairly quickly, such as green beans, lettuce, turnips, or sweet peas. Children lose interest if it takes more than two weeks to see results. Consider planting at least one vegetable from bedding plants at a nursery. Tomato plants are a wise choice. Allow the children to plant the seeds or beddings plants themselves into rows that you have made ready with their help (removing rocks, weeds, fertilizing, etc.). Remember, the more a child puts into the garden, the more likely he will take ownership of the responsibility for maintenance and harvest. Share with your children all the information you have about the vegetables they are planting. Why are they important to our nutrition? Do they grow everywhere? Can you eat them raw? How will you know when they are ready to be picked? This are a few of the questions most children would be interested in. Remind children to check their plants every day for insect pests, need for water, progress in growth or production. Include children when you prepare the vegetables they grew themselves. Ask if the vegetables taste better than those in cans bought in stores.

When working with children ages 9 and older, prepare a larger garden plot for five or six different vegetables or for planting their favorite vegetable with plans for canning or freezing extras. Have children do as much as possible when preparing the soil for planting. Explain when to fertilize, what kind to use, and how often to re-fertilize. Tell children what to expect as the crops develop and how to tell when harvest day arrives. If planning to preserve extra vegetables, demonstrate the steps before the crop is ready to harvest. Make sure the children are responsible for weeding, killing problem insects, staking tomatoes, etc. The more a child is involved, the more she will feel that her garden's bounty is helping provide a need for the family.

Gardening can be theraputic for children as well as adults. Working with parents provides children great opportunities for discussing what is new in their lives or sharing a problem. Garden parables offer information that is easy for children to understand and use in their social circles. Best of all, children learn first hand the value of farming and an appreciation for those who work hard to provide the foods we buy in the supermarkets. Perhaps they may even eat their spinach one day.

Always explain the proper use and storage of garden implements. Never allow children to use insecticides without a parent. In fact, creating a homemade insecticide from earth-friendly ingredients would be best. Remind children that garden snakes may be sleeping under a shady bush of lima beans. Tell them to make noise or sing as they garden and this will tell snakes it is time for them to move on. Remind of the dangers of dehydration and the necessity of wearing sunblock while gardening.
Whether you plant flower beds, entire flower gardens, a small plot of vegetables or herbs or plow the field to plant corn, gardening is a wonderful skill to teach children. Many will have a life-long love of gardening that may one day blossom into new scientific discoveries for keeping the world fed.

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