Have fun with your kids while doing something useful - container gardening! This will certainly help keep them from getting bored and they will love learning how to plant in garden pots. And, seriously, what could possibly be better than getting their little hands dirty while growing their own food. They might just be inclined to try some new foods they wouldn't ordinarily try (I know this works since I saw it happen with my own 6-year old son.)
The Pots
Now let's begin with the garden pots. Containers are available in a wide variety of materials and styles. They can be made from plastic, stone, wood, clay, etc. Since they are lightweight and pretty hard to break, I recommend using plastic pots for safety reasons for kids. Wood containers would be a good second option. Wood containers are usually made to be decorative and not necessarily water proof so you will probably end up putting your plastic pot inside the wood one.
This is a really good time to have your kids decorate the pots. On both wood and plastic, acrylic paint works great. Be sure to use paints that are non-toxic. Once your child is finished, pick out a location now where you want the pot to go since it will be harder and heavier to move when its filled with soil.
The Potting Soil
I recommend using a good potting soil as opposed to putting in plain old dirt. Potting soils are blended specifically for use in containers and they are made to hold water (which means less watering - and less maintenance). Its always a good idea to help freshly placed plants get a good start by feeding them with the proper nutrients. Mix the recommended amount into the potting soil (a guide will be printed on the bag). Be careful not to add too much as this can kill the plant.
The Plants
Choose you plants according to the type of garden you want to grow - herb, vegetable, or flower. Then pick by size according to the size of your pots. Certain plants (such as tomatoes) will require larger sized pots. Remember, plants can be easily transplanted into larger garden pots later if they get to large for the pot you started with. As you can tell, this would be a great project for you and your kids and they are sure to love seeing (and eating) the fruits of their labor. - 29958
The Pots
Now let's begin with the garden pots. Containers are available in a wide variety of materials and styles. They can be made from plastic, stone, wood, clay, etc. Since they are lightweight and pretty hard to break, I recommend using plastic pots for safety reasons for kids. Wood containers would be a good second option. Wood containers are usually made to be decorative and not necessarily water proof so you will probably end up putting your plastic pot inside the wood one.
This is a really good time to have your kids decorate the pots. On both wood and plastic, acrylic paint works great. Be sure to use paints that are non-toxic. Once your child is finished, pick out a location now where you want the pot to go since it will be harder and heavier to move when its filled with soil.
The Potting Soil
I recommend using a good potting soil as opposed to putting in plain old dirt. Potting soils are blended specifically for use in containers and they are made to hold water (which means less watering - and less maintenance). Its always a good idea to help freshly placed plants get a good start by feeding them with the proper nutrients. Mix the recommended amount into the potting soil (a guide will be printed on the bag). Be careful not to add too much as this can kill the plant.
The Plants
Choose you plants according to the type of garden you want to grow - herb, vegetable, or flower. Then pick by size according to the size of your pots. Certain plants (such as tomatoes) will require larger sized pots. Remember, plants can be easily transplanted into larger garden pots later if they get to large for the pot you started with. As you can tell, this would be a great project for you and your kids and they are sure to love seeing (and eating) the fruits of their labor. - 29958
About the Author:
Before starting any project using garden pots, make sure you check out Andy Raydalls web site about container gardening: AllGardenPots.com
