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Caregiver Chapter 2
Caring for your garden
This chapter explores several lessons & activities in which your child will:
Understand why plants need water & plan a watering schedule
Learn about how plants grow through light and photosynthesis
Explore soil types
Become knowledgeable about the conditions for ideal plant growth
Section 1
Section 1: Water
Key Activity: The most important elements for your child's garden is water and sunlight. Each mini-planter pot should be damp, but never soaking wet. After planting, watering every other day is perfectly fine. Be cautious about over-watering if watering everyday.
Check out this 1-minute video from Valley Verde where they explain how to double check that your garden is not over or under-watered!
Your child will be using this finger trick to check if their gardens are over or under watered! Make sure they understand what a good soil moisture is.
Ask your child what their watering schedule is. An easy one to remember is Monday, Wednesday, Friday (and Saturday or Sunday if it is really hot out) . You do not need to water everyday, that often creates problems with over-watering!
Section 2
Section 2: Light
Key Activity: Exploration! Now is a good time to check your garden is actually getting 6+ hours of sunlight per day in your home. Help your child find a secure place inside your house where they can place their garden boxes to receive enough sunlight.
‼️ Important ‼️ For best results (meaning most seedlings sprouted in a week or so) it is best to find a sunny spot for the garden kit indoors. We recommend a spot by a window, on a table, or on a shelf that gets sunlight throughout the day.
Khan Academy Video resource:
For your gardeners interested in more advanced plant biology!
Additional Resources
Your child will be exploring plants you have around the house or their neighborhood to see how the plants grow toward where the sun is! This effect is called phototropism.
Section 3
Section 3: Soil
Your child will be learning about soil types (clay, silt, and sand) and the soil conditions that allow plants to grow.
Chat with your child about how to make a great home for their plants to thrive! They will have lots of answers from a video they watched.
If your family has compost available or accessible, you can put a small layer of it onto of the soil in the compostable cups.
section4
Section 4: Temperature
Tips for Temperature Regulation
If it is cold out:
Place plants in warm areas of your house (maybe near a heater).
If it is hot out:
Use fans to increase air flow near your plants.
Additional Resources for Light, Temperature, & Humidity:
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