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Planting a garden is fun and easy to do.
It is also a great experience for a child where they can learn a lot.
I recently started a small bean garden with my kids and they are really
enjoying it. My favorite to plant is sugar snap peas because they are
easy to grow and taste great, especially right off the plant. Your
garden can be planted in a small patch of land or even in a pot.
Step one: Remove large stones and roots from the
area being planted.
Step two: Plant beans in the soil according to the instructions on
the package.
Step three: Your plans will need something to lean on as they grow.
Place sticks in the ground and connect them with string along the top and
middle of the sticks. You can also use inexpensive wire garden
fencing for the plants to grow on.
Step four: Water the soil.
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Things to talk about with your child:
Why do plants need water?
Plants need water for many reasons. Water helps to break down the
minerals in the soil so that they can be absorbed by the plant.
Also, plants are mostly composed of water. Water from the plant is
evaporated through the leaves, so that water needs to be replenished so
that the plant can survive. This evaporation through the leaves is
called transpiration. Also, the water filled cells in the plant help
the plant to stand up.
Why do plants need sun?
Plants use sunlight and carbon dioxide in the air to make their food.
Plants have something called chlorophyll in their leaves which they use to
make their own food. The chlorophyll is what makes the leaves green.
This creation of food by plants is called photosynthesis. In
photosynthesis plants use sunlight to change water and carbon dioxide into
carbohydrates (sugars) and oxygen.
Even young children can learn about the different scientific terms.
Do not be afraid to use words such as photosynthesis and chlorophyll with
your child. They are picking up new vocabulary every day when you
talk with them and have the ability to learn complex terms. When you
look at your garden over the season continue to talk about the different
process taking place with the plants and by the end of the season they
will be experts in how plants grow.
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