by Barbara Stanley

Created on: February 25, 2009   Last Updated: October 19, 2011

Gardening is an activity that people of any age or disability can participate in. It may seem as if teens would rather stay inside or be off doing things with friends, but some people will always need a little push to begin something new. Have a plan before suggesting a family garden. Make sure there will be activities to entice teen participation as well as younger children. There can even be a competition for who grows the largest tomato, head of cabbage or other garden vegetable. Have a teen keep a garden journal to help plan and prepare the next year's garden.

Gardening tips:

      1. As parents, be prepared with a few facts before engaging children. A. Plant Hardiness Zone: a map of the U.S. showing the average winter temperatures; B. Seed catalogs for your city: know what plants grow well in your area; C. Garden design: include amount of daily sunshine, slopes and valleys, moisture and ability to water or irrigate, drainage

      2. Adults should discuss how much time they have to maintain a garden and how much physical strength the family has as a whole.

      3. Plan a family meeting to discuss the garden plans and designs. Discuss the responsibilities that will be assigned to each person in the family. Allow each person in the family to choose two or three vegetables or fruits that will be grown in the garden. No child wants to help grow vegetables he refuses to eat. Using the seed catalog, choose plants that grow well in your area. A child might request a plant that does not grow in your zone. Be prepared to discuss this issue.

      4. Assign an older child to determine soil type: A. Dig four to five inches down into the soil where the garden will be planted; B. Put the soil and two cups of water into a clear glass jar with a lid. Add a drop or two of dish detergent; C. Shake the jar hardily, then set aside for 24 hours. D. Check the soil type: 1. Sand settles on the bottom. If half or more is sand, the soil is sandy. 2. Silt will be on top of the sand. If over half the jar contains silt, the soil contains too much. 3. On top of silt, you will find the clay. If there is one-fourth clay in the jar and heavy silt, the soil is clay. 4. Organic matter floats on top. A good soil proportion will be two-fifths sand, two-fifths silt and a narrow band of clay, according to Gardening Essentials 2005, Barbara Pleasant, National Home Gardening Club.

     

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