“Plant Dreams, Pull Weeds, and Grow A Happy Life”
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Having good soil is really important for growing a bountiful garden. This part of gardening is often overlooked, but it’s perhaps the most important step and will ensure that plants grow their best.
We found some great resources for young gardeners at Earth Easy, and summarized a few key points below. Check out the link above to find more gardening resources and information to make the most of this
- Drainage: Check for good drainage. Does water sit on top of the ground for a long time? Does the soil stay wet for a long time? A spot like this might be good for mud pies but not for gardening.
- Build A Raised Bed: mound up the garden area about 8-12 inches. You can just hill up the whole area or use some rocks or boards to keep the soil in place.
- What’s Growing?: Are there things growing there now? If weeds are growing really well, probably vegetables and flowers will also.
- Pull Weeds: Use some garden tools to gently and efficiently remove the weeds from your garden. This is an important step as the weeds will take the nutrients from the soil if you leave them. Pulling them gently as the sprout up is an important aspect of garden maintenance and one that kids can especially find pride in doing!
- Start with Good Soil Quality: Garden soil has some real important parts: minerals, organic matter (rotting plant and animal parts), air spaces and water. If these things are not in the right balance you might have soil that is too clay, too sandy, too dry, too wet, or too hard.
Now, you’re ready to choose your plants, and get to planting those babies!
Happy Gardening!
