Starting your garden with seeds
Starting with seeds gives your children the full experience of gardening. Seeds bring to life many science experiments with hands-on opportunity. Being able to start seeds from the beginning and watching each step cannot be replaced with reading it in a book.
Options for starting seeds
- save eggshells
- use yogurt, coffee or other recycled product
- pellet starter packs
- re-use cell packs from the nursery
Abby and Julia’s experiment used eggshells. This method really allows children to think about how to re-use many materials and discover the benefits of doing so. Eggshells provide calcium and other minerals to the ground after planting. Using a method that allows easy transfer to the ground or a pot will reduce breakage of the plant.
- start your seeds indoors
- pick seeds with big stems and easy growth like green beans
- document growth with a journal and photographs
Where can I get help
Visit your local extension office for current plans and ideas on what grows best when in your area. The extension office is a field trip in itself. They want to help you succeed in gardening. What grows best in Illinois does not necessarily grow best in Florida. Soil can make a difference where you live too. Garden for success even if it is just a few plants in pots. Often times the extension office will offer free workshops on gardening. Check their calendar.
We recommend the book Square Foot Gardening for Kids by Mel Boring and any book on gardening for your state.
If you are new to gardening start small. Mix in a few flowers to attract bees, birds, and butterflies.
Enjoy some of the videos I found about gardening with children. As always use parental discretion when viewing on Youtube.
- Print out charts for starting seeds and a square foot map to plan your garden.
- Keep up with the growth chart for school lessons.
- Work on the pest and disease chart to help control and prevent future problems.
- Visit Garden Supply for their virtual square foot garden building tool. It is pretty cool! The link is in the resources below.
Resources for this lesson
Plant Growth Chart
Square Foot Garden Map
Pest and Disease Chart
Garden Supply Virtual Planner
Trish and her kids prepare a square foot garden
A gardener talks about square foot gardening.