There is something just so amazing about watching the face of a child as they see that first sprout of a vegetable they’ve planted popping up through the soil. Their expression is one of sheer delight and sometimes, that’s all it takes to put them on a lifelong love of gardening. Childs gardening is an enjoyable and educational experience that encourages children to learn about nature and the environment, fostering a love and appreciation for the natural world.
However, teach them about organic gardening and they will be even more enthused. After all, what kid doesn’t love to play in the dirt and that yucky compost pile you’ve made together? But when they can eat the fruit of their labors, it’s more even exciting yet. Why organic gardening? It’s all about those benefits you’d like them to understand.
The Benefits of Natural Nutrients
Speaking of that compost pile, that’s the very beginning of teaching them the difference between natural nutrients and chemical fertilizers. Whether you grow your plants in a small square in your backyard or in containers, that smelly compost you’ve taught them to make is the basis for your feeding regimen.
Then, when you take something that naturally grows large like organic jumbo garlic bulbs, you will see the awe on their little faces. As a suggestion here, you might want to grow garlic in containers since the growth cycle is so long.
Garlic can have a growing cycle that lasts up to eight months, so you might want it in containers you can easily cover or bring indoors as the weather turns chilly. If not for the garlic, for your kids who have to water and feed it! Childs gardening is a great way to teach kids about the importance of nature and how things grow.
Companion Gardening
This is where you begin teaching them about companion gardening, where two different plants give off nutrients into one soil that feeds the other. It’s easy to teach companion gardening because you can relate it to having a BFF.
Give them examples of times when they’ve shared snacks if the other one forgot to pack theirs for that day. There are all kinds of examples you can use to teach the basic concept of companion gardening and you can learn about the best companion plants here.
The Dangers of Pesticides
When it comes to organic gardening, there is nothing more unthinkable than chemical pesticides. It may be a difficult concept to explain but it is important that they learn about pesticides being so dangerous for plants and humans alike.
There are some plants that are naturally insect-repellant such as lemongrass and mint. These can be planted in rows between vegetables to repel insects that would otherwise destroy your plants. Not only does this help kids to learn about dangerous chemicals but it teaches them to find natural alternatives in life whenever possible. It’s the art of creative thinking.
From Garden to Table
When it’s time to harvest your veggies as they ripen, your kids might just try some they’ve been rebelling against all along. They can take ownership of the plants they’ve helped to grow and one of the ways they do that is to show how much they love them at mealtimes.
At this point, it’s time to teach them to share or preserve if you’ve grown more than can be eaten quickly. There is just so much you can teach your kids with an organic garden, so don’t be surprised if they insist on an even bigger garden next year! A childs love for gardening often starts at a young age, as they learn about the beauty and responsibility of nurturing plants.
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