We had snow on Wednesday but we need to start gardening. So we’re planting in our garden. How do you garden with your toddler? Is it hard to weed? Do you spend a ton of time on it? Here are 5 easy tips and tricks to make your garden easier and more productive.
Watering the Garden:
Watering can be hard to get right. Too much and you wash away and too little and nothing grows. If you have a large section to water you may be talking about buckets of water which is heavy.
When the plants are little you can use spray bottles. That slows you down so you don’t drown your plants. This works especially when you have your seeds are in a small place like a planter.
When the plants get to the garden you need more water. If the water hose reaches great. If not one thing we do is leave buckets around the garden. It catches rainwater and then uses it to water the garden. (Remember to use it if you do. Don’t let the water stand for long otherwise you’ll have a bumper crop of mosquitoes.)
Weeds in the Garden:
Weeds are a big problem, overwhelming your plants and killing your veggies. There are a few things you can do to avoid a lot of weeding.
One thing that really works is over planting. Especially with squash. Last year I planted a huge section of garden with one thing. Butternut squash. It completely overwhelmed everything. It was a lot of seeds and the weeds didn’t stand a chance. We got a ton of squash.
Do you have seedlings? Plant them and make everything around them less inviting. Put rocks, mulch or black plastic around them. Keep the rest of the area clear. We’re trying small sections. A stripe of space where my seeds were planted and around it just grass.
Gardening with Fewer Pests:
Bugs need food too. They definitely will hit something. Our green and leafy are usually the first to get chewed on. So do the tomatoes. If you check out Pinterest you can find some solid bug spray solutions that work pretty well. Garlic powder dissolved in water works really well. There are also followers that help keep bugs away. So you can always plant marigolds around your tomatoes.
The Productivity of the Garden:
Plants need a lot to grow. You’ve got to water, weed and feed. If you do you get rewards. Unless it snows all summer too. When it comes to plant food you can make your own. Do you eat eggs and drink coffee? Save the shells and grinds and mix them into your soil and add them to the top after you put the plants in. This adds nitrogen to the soil. Which helps your plants grow.
Gardening with Little Helper(s):
My little helper always wants to help. Which make things take longer. But it does teach him how to garden and makes him happy to help. He will get his own section this year with a mix of things to grow of both flowers and veggies.
Gardening This Year:
Good luck with your garden this year and your little helper(s). I hope you don’t get any more snow. It’s time for spring. Did you like our tips and tricks? Like, Share and comment below.
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Toddlers can make terrific little helpers around the house and in the yard. I can imagine quite a few things they’d be good helping with in the garden. I think they’d enjoy pulling weeds, watering flower beds, and helping plant seeds.