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IMPROVE YOUR KIDS HEALTH WITH GARDENING

Getting kids involved in yard work and gardening can provide a variety of benefits such as increased exercise, better mental health and decrease illness from a better immune system. In addition, the joy and excitement from growing your own fruits and vegetables can help kids eat healthier.

IMPROVE THEIR OVERALL HEALTH

Gardening has long been known to be beneficial to human health. Besides the obvious reason of producing healthy fruits and vegetables, gardening can improve your immune system and mental health simply by playing in the soil.

We've all heard the saying, " a little dirt never hurt anyone" when babies or young kids shove handfuls into their mouth. The fact is, dirt or soil is actually very beneficial to your immune system. Our gut microbiome, and therefore our immune system, is heavily influenced by beneficial microorganisms found in the food we eat and the environments were exposed to.

Many beneficial microorganisms found in our gut are the same found in healthy soils such as; Lactobacillus, Saccharomyces, and Rhodopseudomonas.

STARTING A SMALL GARDEN

When kids have their own small plot of land to build a garden, they'll build confidence and be more likely to eat the produce grown. Getting kids of any age involved can be easy and involves very little space. When using products such as EM-1® and EM® Bokashi , there is no worry about harmful chemical inputs.

(1) Find an area in the yard that receives plenty of sun (6+ hours) or get a few containers that can be placed anywhere.

(2) Find or make a high-quality soil mixture with top soil, compost and EM® Bokashi. Good soil will ensure good water retention and effective cycling of nutrients.

(3) Pick out easy to grow seeds or seedlings. Let them try some of their favorites and add herb varieties as well. Tip: try a veggie they dislike, maybe growing it fresh will change their mind. Soak seeds in a solution of EM-1® or water in transplants with EM-1® at a rate of 1oz per gallon of water.

(4) Apply EM® Bokashi as a top dress at 1/3cup per square foot.

(5) Have your kid make their own calendar to remember when to water and when to reapply EM-1® (weekly) and EM® Bokashi (bi-weekly).

MAKE IT A SCIENCE EXPERIMENT

If you have older kids (5+ years old) you can make gardening a great learning experience. Gardening can be a great way to introduce biology and microbiology and the entire ecosystem below the soil surface. Here are some ideas for turning gardening into a lesson;

Use the information throughout our website and gardening blog to learn about soil microorganisms and how they effect plant growth.

Set up a trial comparing plants treated with EM-1® and EM® BOKASHI and plants not treated. Be sure to separate the trial since microorganisms do travel within the soil.

Learn about the role microorganisms play in organic matter break down and nutrient cycling in our environment by making your own compost. Check out our tips for making high quality compost or start your own food waste recycling bucket..