Page 32 - Bringing out the Potential In Our Children - Gardeners - Food Producers

Chapter 5: Getting Rid of the Competition - Weeding and

Thinning

Like all good mothers who nurture their young, they also protect them too.

With our young plants we want them to grow to their full potential. That
means getting rid of anything that is competing for your plant’s nutrients,
sunlight and water.

This is where weeding and thinning comes in. Not always the favorite task
for kids. Hint: it helps if they have a hoe of their own just their size for the
task. Even add a table fork to your child’s toolbox for digging out weed

close to their plants.

Some helpful tips:
 Learn to identify weeds and manage them with this handy guide put
out by the National Gardening Association at:
http://garden.org/learn/library/weeds/
 catch the weeds when they are young and easier to pull out.
 If it’s thinning you’re doing, most seed packs will tell you what

distance to thin your plant to for best growth.
 mulch your garden to keep the weeds down. Mulch can be
newspapers, straw, old leaves, or landscaping fabric, that is placed

around your plants to cover any bare ground. This will help to keep
the water in too.

 Get the weeds before they go to seed and multiply in your garden.

Another thing your plants need is sun. Prevent other plants from blocking

out the sun –
 part of planning your garden is to have the taller plants towards the
back so they don’t shade out any smaller plants. The seed packs will

usually give you the height of the plant.
 Again get those weeds out early to prevent them from growing tall

and blocking out the sun.