Best Practices for Starting an Edible Garden With Your Kids

Gardening can be an excellent bonding activity between you and your kids, especially when you grow your own food. They can learn about the environment and nature, while you can enjoy a beautiful outdoor space, fresh ingredients, and quality time with your little ones. When you're juggling so many life tasks, it's difficult to know where to start. Where should you put an edible garden? What plants should you begin with? How can you make it fun for the kids?

Two children gather autumn leaves in a sunny yard; one collects leaves while the other holds a small green wagon, dreaming of starting an edible garden and discovering the joys of gardening with kids.

Start Small

Starting an expansive garden or farm can be overwhelming for not just you, but also your little ones. You can start as small as you like, with just a single planter or flowerbed at first. Starting small allows you to get used to caring for plants and is suitable for any type of yard or balcony. Beginner-friendly plants can help you ease into the edible garden lifestyle as well. See if your kids enjoy some easy-to-grow herbs or vegetables such as mint, basil, carrots, radishes, bell peppers, lettuce, or cherry tomatoes. Choose a few of these options and plan where you will grow them. Some opt for containers or raised planters for easier access. Others choose to plant them directly in the ground, where they'll likely have an easier chance to access fertilizer resources. When browsing for potting soil or topsoil for sale, ensure it has adequate drainage to keep your new garden hydrated and healthy.

Make It Fun With Your Kids

When you involve your kids in the gardening process, you want to do far more than just ask what fruits or vegetables they'd like to grow. You want to make it a fun experience from start to finish. Beyond allowing them to choose what to plant, involve them in the process of shopping for these beginner plants or seeds. Include activities such as scheduling a garden day to care for the plants and check on their progress. You can paint pots or garden signs together to distinguish what seeds are planted where. Create a garden scrapbook or journal together where you can draw what they see growing in the garden. The more they are involved in the process, the more they can learn about living in harmony with nature.

Choose the Best Area

Before planting, ensure you know where to place your plants. Some prefer full sunlight, while others prefer shade. Most edible plants enjoy at least six hours a day of sun, but you'll want to check each option before choosing a spot. Depending on your outdoor space, you can choose a sunny corner of the yard, a windowsill, or a balcony to give them adequate light. If you're limited on space, consider using vertical gardens or hanging planters, especially for smaller herbs like cilantro. You can container plant most herbs, fruits, or vegetables as long as you tend to their needs.

Create a Low-Maintenance Routine

The best way to cultivate a beautiful garden is to establish a routine for it. You don't want to make it a boring chore, but scheduling a specific day or time to inspect your seeds or plants can make it easier to tend to them. After school, make a habit of taking your kids outside to check on the plants and water them as needed. You can also choose a weekend if that is easier for your family. Establishing a routine while keeping it low-maintenance can help you create a thriving edible garden that doesn't overwhelm your current schedule.

Create Harvest Activities

Your kids will love it when it's time to harvest your crops. If you're not sure what to do with certain herbs, you can enjoy a garden pizza day with tomatoes, basil, and oregano. You can help your kids create their own DIY garden salad with your homegrown greens. For the fruit lovers, help them pluck some of their favorite fruits or mint to make smoothies, fancy water, or popsicles. When you create a fun activity around harvest time, your kids will want to keep growing their favorite foods. Even if your kids aren't sure they like a particular crop, they can associate fun with a new flavor.

Conclusion

An edible garden can help you connect with your kids and enjoy a nutritional meal every once in a while. You can start with a successful garden by finding a sunny spot to place it, as well as choosing some beginner-friendly crops, such as cherry tomatoes or mint. Involve your kids in more than just the plant choices; make caring for the garden a low-maintenance routine filled with fun. When it's time for harvest, try to come up with tasty recipes that show off the merits of your hard gardening work. Not only does an edible garden spruce up your outdoor space and make a fun activity for your kids, but they'll also learn a lifelong lesson about living off the land.