Growing a pizza garden with your kids is a great way to introduce them to the wonders of gardening. For one, pizza is one of the foods children (and the not-so-young ones) love the most. It's a fun way to get them involved in growing their own food early on.
In this article, I will help you navigate through the process of starting your own pizza garden. I've included some clever ways on how to involve your kids each step of the way.
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Easy and Kid-Friendly Steps to Grow a Pizza Garden
What You'll Need:
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- garden spot with enough sunlight ( at least 6-8 hours of sun exposure)
- materials for the garden outline (rocks or wood)
- gardening tools (trowels, digging shovels, plant markers, etc.)
- plant seedlings
- compost or fertilizer
- water
Step 1: Design Your Pizza Garden
Outline a circular bed that mimics the shape of a pizza. The size will depend on your available space and the number of each kind of topping you will grow.
To do this, tie a string to a stick and have your child hold the other end from the center. Walking in a circle, use the stick to outline the edges of the garden bed. Mark the boundaries with rocks or wood. Divide your garden bed into “slices” using the same marking materials.
Step 2: Prepare the Soil
Weed out the area and loosen the soil to ensure the plants will develop abundantly. Enrich it with compost and organic fertilizers as well. As the plants need constant watering, use slow-release fertilizers to avoid nutrients from draining quickly.
Your kids can help mix soil and compost. They can also dig holes for the plants, but make sure to guide them on proper plant spacing.
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Step 3: Plant the Crops
Common vegetable toppings you can include in your kids' pizza garden are tomato, pepper, onion, and chives. On the other hand, you can start with arugula, basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme for herbs. You can also be creative and ask your children what other vegetables they want to include in their pizza.
Start by gently removing each plant from its container. Make sure to tease apart the roots a bit to let the transplant grow deep in the soil. Except for the tomato, most of the pizza plants should be planted at the same depth as in their nursery pots. Lightly press the ground around your plants to firm them up.
Tomatoes should be buried a little bit deeper (at least a third of its length). Allowing roots to grow the stem will anchor your plant and keep it more stable. Moreover, plant the tomatoes at least two feet apart from each other as they grow a bit big.
Tip: Plant basil near tomato to help repel tomato hornworms because of its aroma.
Apart from letting your kids help in transplanting the seedlings, you can also ask them to make creative plant markers to include in their mini garden. This will help familiarize them with the different types of vegetables you're planting.
Don't forget to put some compost on the base of the plants to stop water from evaporating quickly.
Step 4: Take Care of Your Pizza Garden
Water the plants regularly, especially tomatoes, basil, and peppers, to ensure their soil remains moist. The other herbs don't need much watering but make sure the soil doesn't feel dry.
- Tomatoes – water the base and avoid wetting the leaves to prevent diseases; put a stake to support the plant as it grows
- Herbs – clip them up sparingly to promote growth; don't overdo using fertilizers as they affect the taste
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If you don't have enough space in your garden, watch how Misilla from Learn To Grow did a pizza container garden with her kid:
With your own pizza garden, you and your kids can have all the freshest toppings you'll need for your next pizza party. And more than that, the process of growing it with your kids makes it more worthwhile.
What other vegetables would you try on your pizza? Let us know in the comment section below.
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