Every time our kids are with us learning new skills “Teach Your Children”, by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young plays in my head. In the 18th century at least 90 percent of Americans were farmers. It amazes me how long this crucial skill has been around, yet nowadays, it is hard to find folks that have learned the skill. Most Americans have no idea where to begin and some have no interest in learning.
Lets face it, modern conveniences can be crippling. It will be a sad day when knowing how to grow your own food means the difference between feeding your family or starving. When that day comes, and it will, you will not be granted the necessary time to learn this skill from the start. This skill is learned over many years of trial and error, research, classes, and a lot of elbow grease. And if you think you know a little, will you be able to sustain when unfortunate circumstances unfold?
As much as I hate the term “Green Thumb”…
…I have been told that I have one for most of my life. I have always been able to hear and read what a plant is asking for because I was always interested. Just being interested and observant, I believe, is all that is needed to have a Green Thumb. This is a skill that we find necessary to teach our children. Of course, this brings the folks that decide to live with a blindfold on, to label us as preppers. Many have a hard time realizing that this has become a lost and important skill to have.
Teaching the fundamentals
Seed starting was first. Everything that a seed needs to germinate and thrive. The importance of using the right planting medium and the amount of light and water a seed and plant requires to thrive. How to transplant a young seedling into a larger container if it is too early to plant outside.
Finally, how to plant into the ground. If our four year old was able to learn the basics of how to grow food then so can yours. And that of course leaves an adult with zero excuses to learn themselves.
Why knowing how to make compost is vital
Our children then learned how to make compost and why it is so important. The first step was developing an understanding of carbon and nitrogen and which items fall into each category. Then the proper ratio needed of each and what elements are needed to produce compost in a timely manner.
This was learned by visiting the subject every day on a large whiteboard. Since we homeschool, this became an essential part of the daily curriculum. After about a week, they thoroughly understood how to make compost and were able to explain each step. There are many reasons why knowing how to make your own compost is vital:
Having healthy soil = Healthy nutrient dense crops.
Sustaining a successful garden year after year.
Not depending on resources off site.
Replacing chemical fertilizers.
Reducing waste.
Environmental benefits.
Saves money.
The list of benefits goes on and on.
Knowing your plant hardiness zone
Also, knowing why this is so important in your food growing success. We discussed what plant hardiness is and how different regions have different labeled zones. Where to find this information and how sometimes these zones can change due to climate changes.
Which crops to start at different times of the year
Here we discussed the groups of plants that thrive during various weather temperatures and why. They already understood the different seasons and the temperatures that come with it. This just took a simple understanding of which types of crops like warm weather, which like mild weather, and which will survive and still produce in cold.
Memorizing is not necessary because over time you will automatically remember. Also, cheat sheets are readily available to keep on hand, you can find that here.
From there, the kiddos learned different short cuts, how and when pruning will benefit the crops, and how to keep crops comfortable in their beds. Because after all, keeping crops are just like keeping a kitten purring. If that analogy causes you to tilt your heads with your mouths wide open then you will be removed from the circle of trust, nephew. I guess what I am trying to say is that this skill is feasible.
Let’s pass this skill on to the younger generations, so that it is not lost for good. Unless eating genetically modified food and food developed in labs, and health issues gives you the fizz. If it does, I am very sorry to say that I will not be allowed to play with you any longer.
Happy Growing!
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