container gardening for Kids

Children today find it challenging to engage in outdoor gardening and farming because they live in apartments or other urban settings. Due to these limitations, we need to do indoor gardening and farming easily accessible activities for children. In this regard, the best option to use container gardening for kids gardening activities.

Container gardening can be defined as the practice of growing plants in pots or containers rather than in the garden. Growing plants in pots is a fun and easy way for kids to get into gardening. When contrasted with traditional gardening, this activity has several advantages. These benefits can be summarized as follows:

1. Planting plants in pots can be done in any season of the year and at home, while gardening in the garden is only possible during the warmer seasons of spring and summer. ‌
2. In container gardening, sterile potting soil can be used, while the garden soil may be contaminated. 
3. In this method, children have their pot and take care of it during the day, fostering a sense of responsibility without the challenges of taking care of plants in the garden, such as destruction by the elements or animals. 
4. Another advantage of this method is that the child can observe and rejoice in the growth process of the plant step by step. 
5. It is space-efficient and portable, allowing us to work anywhere, especially in urban areas.

Due to these characteristics, some parents choose container gardening for kids, even when it is possible to garden outdoors.

container gardening for kids: how to do it?

Now that we know the importance of container gardening in our lives today, we need to know how to take this activity up at home. The first step in this exercise is to ensure that we have all the necessary equipment. The following are some of the required tools and accessories:

1. Soil

Good soil is one of the most important components. Because most plants are grown in pots indoors, sanitary soil is needed (for more information on the different varieties of safe potting soil, see the article «sterile Potting Soil for kids»).

2. Planting technique

After you’ve prepared the soil, it’s time to pick a planting technique. We can grow plants with our kids in two different ways. We can either use the plants’ seeds and sow them or cut some stems and propagate the houseplants indoors.

Technique #1: Sowing seeds

In this case, it is better to start with simple seeds such as cress, basil, radish, and Zinnia. Because these plants germinate quickly and can be easily grown at home, after planting these seeds and gaining experience, you can move on to other plants such as calendula, Nasturtium, marigold, sunflower, cotton, and beetroot.

Technique #2: Plant propagation

In this case, you should look for houseplants that are easy to propagate by stem cuttings or plants like aloe vera, which can be propagated by repotting pups.

3. Select the appropriate pot

When choosing a pot, consider the type of plant growing method you want to use. If our goal in container gardening is to grow plants from seeds, we’ll need a tiny plastic pot with a diameter of 8 cm in which to plant the seeds to get started. Of course, we’ll eventually need larger pots for transplanting seedlings. However, if we want to grow houseplants, we must select the appropriate pot size based on the size of the plants we wish to grow.

Plastic pots are preferable for indoor container planting. Plastic pots come in various sizes, are lightweight, and have a reasonable price compared to other types of pots.

4. Trowel and watering can

To plant and care for the plants, you will also need a trowel and a watering can. Just keep in mind that if your children want to use these tools for gardening, you’ll want to make sure they’re safe. As a result, consider buying them plastic tools to avoid the risk of injury.

Presenting the final product

One of the advantages of container gardening for kids is that children can display their plants and even give them to others as gifts. They can even sell their plants at charity events and feel good about it because they are helping others. They can also generate money by selling their creations through an online or home show. These are examples of how container gardening can cultivate children’s financial and commercial abilities as well.