Family Fun:  Grow a Garden

Article written by Katie Taylor, UNL Graduate Student

Get outside and enjoy the warmer weather by planting a garden. Gardening is a great form of exercise, can help relieve stress, and is a fun way to get the whole family working together. Most people think that they have to plow up part of the backyard to grow a garden, but that can be overwhelming and is not a possibility for most people. If you and your family are first-time gardeners or just want to start a small garden, try using plastic or clay containers, hanging baskets, or start a community garden in your neighborhood.

Gardening can be as simple as filling a pot with potting soil, planting the seeds, and watering regularly. But if you want to give your plants a little extra love and care make sure you do these things.

   1. Use Compost: Compost is decayed plant material like leaves, cut grass, and tree branches. It improves the soil and helps your plants grow. If you don’t have space in your yard to make your own compost pile, you can buy compost in a bag from the store and place a handful or two on top of the soil after you plant the seeds or starter plants. Or, if you are using containers or pots, you can place a layer of newspaper in the bottom of the container and pour the potting soil over top the newspaper. Over time, the newspaper will break down and be your compost.

   2. Provide sunlight: A benefit to using pots is that you can put them in a place that sees a lot of sunlight throughout the day. Your garden will need sunlight to grow.

   3. Water: It is important to water often in the first week or two after you plant your garden. Make sure you water long enough for the water to soak in the soil, not just get the top inch or two of soil wet. This will help the roots grow deep in the soil. Also, if the temperature is really hot in the summer, do not let your garden dry up. Water in the early morning or late evening when it’s cooler.

   4. Weed and Prune: Weeding is important to keep your garden healthy and can be a great way to get physical activity. Weed as needed, but don’t wait too long or the weeds may overtake your garden. Pruning your plants helps them stay healthy and free of fungus that may destroy them. To prune a tomato plant, for example, gently pick off all the small, new branches growing on the plant closest to the soil and gently pick off dead flowers and leaves on the rest of the plant.

Vegetables are the easiest seeds to plant and manage in containers. Always follow the planting instructions on the seed packet to know how far apart to space the seeds and time of year to plant them. Try planting a few of your favorite vegetables or try a new one off of this list:

   • Lettuce
   • Radish
   • Dwarf carrot (ball-type)
   • Tomatoes
   • Squash
   • Spinach
   • Sweet peppers
   • Sugar snap peas
   • Cucumbers

Plants that grow on vines like squash and cucumbers take up more space. To use less space, consider having them grow up a trellis.

Herbs like basil, oregano, parsley, sage, rosemary, chives, and thyme are also easy to grow. Herbs can also be “picked” sooner than vegetables because they keep growing and you only have to use a little bit at a time.

It is possible to grow fruits like blueberries, apples, and bananas in containers. If the fruit is a tree fruit, it will need its own large pot, more space, and will be more expensive to purchase compared to seed packets.

Other Tips:
   • Have the kids make labels for each kind of seed or starter-plant you plant.
   • Make a schedule of when to water the plants and who will water them. Everyone in the family should be on the schedule!
   • Keep it simple! If this is your family’s first garden or if you don’t have a lot of money to spend on a garden, plant one pot with three or four of your favorite things.
   • Use the vegetables and herbs you grow to make a garden pizza, spaghetti, or salad. Kids are more likely to eat new things if they help grow them.
   • Have fun!