Homeschool › Outdoor Skills › GardeningWatching a seed you planted turn into food is one of the best kinds of magic. The 1913 book How Girls Can Help Their Country put it simply: “Why not let every one plant at least one tree?” A sunny windowsill or a few pots on a porch is all you need to begin.
Things to try In any order, at your own pace. Tick what you've tried if you like keeping track; ticks stay on this device.
Sprout a bean in a jar Line a clear jar with a damp paper towel and tuck a dry bean between the towel and the glass. Keep the towel damp and watch every day. A good goal: you've drawn the root and the shoot as they appear.Test what plants need Plant a few seeds in two or three cups and change one thing for each, such as putting one in the dark or giving one no water. Compare them after two weeks. A good goal: you can explain what plants need to grow.Know your growing season With a grown-up, look up your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone and your area's average last spring frost date. A good goal: you can say when it's safe to plant outdoors where you live.Grow something to eat Grow lettuce, radishes, herbs, or cherry tomatoes in a pot or garden bed. Water, weed, and check on it regularly. A good goal: you harvest something you grew.Keep a garden journal Write down what you planted, when, and what happened each week, with drawings or photos. A good goal: your journal covers the whole time from seed to harvest.Start a compost pile Start a compost bin or pile with “greens” (fruit and vegetable scraps, grass clippings) and “browns” (dry leaves, shredded paper). Keep it damp and turn it now and then. A good goal: you can explain how scraps turn into soil.Plant for pollinators Plant at least one flower that bees and butterflies like, if you can one that's native to your area. A good goal: you've seen a pollinator visit it.Share your harvest Cook or serve something you grew to your family, and teach someone how you grew it. A good goal: the dish is eaten and your helper knows the steps.Read about it in the old books ← All outdoor skills Teddy Rook Book is not affiliated with or connected to any scouting or youth organization. These pages are free ideas to use however you like.