Square Foot Gardening with Children
Have you heard of square foot gardening? Square foot gardening is a quick and easy way to have a high yield garden in a small space, 16 square feet to be exact. This method is a cross between raised bed gardening and vertical gardening with similar results- tons of vegetables or herbs in a small amount of space.
So how do you start a square foot garden? First, you decide how big you want your garden. Are you going to practice with a small gardening space? Do you have children helping you? If you have small children that want to help with the garden, then you should consider making your garden bed smaller. Since their reach isn’t as long as yours a smaller garden bed makes it easier for them to reach the plants. Gardening with children is a great way to sneak in science, home-economics, and cherished family time.
Building your raised bed is the hardest part, but with these tips from Crafting Creatures it becomes an easy, rewarding experience. You can build your garden bed from pallets. This is a great way to teach kids about recycling. Once your garden beds are built, you will need to fill them with a nutrient filled soil and compost.
Once the dirty work is done, you are ready to have some fun! Planning your vegetable garden is a teaching opportunity. Talk to your children about why certain plants need to be planted in rows, why tomatoes need cages, and the best time of the year to plant each fruit or vegetable. Backyard Planter has 3 layouts you can use to plant your square foot garden. See one layout from Backyard Planter below.
Square Foot Gardening
Photo from Backyard Planter, garden layout ideas.
Once you’ve built your garden bed, filled it with soil, and made your plan, it is time to plant your seeds or seedlings. If planned right, you will have enough vegetables to eat some at each meal during the growing season. Another plus of square foot gardening is, mistakes are easy to overcome on a small scale. If you don’t have a green thumb for vegetables, you can try again with flowers next year! Good Luck!
