Garden Box

Welcome to the Garden Box! Below, you'll find all the videos and downloads for this month's box. Be sure to watch each video and explore all the resources. We're excited to have you here! To keep track of your progress, please download the check-off list to ensure you've completed all the videos and assignments.

Check-Off List

Welcome Video - Start Here

Video | Planning Your Garden

Companion Planting Guide

What to Plant Together

Strategic companion planting supports natural pest control, improves soil health, increases biodiversity, and enhances yields by creating beneficial relationships between plant species in your garden.

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Companion Planting Guide

What to Avoid Planting Together

Some plants make poor garden neighbors because they compete for the same nutrients, attract harmful insects to each other, release growth-inhibiting chemicals, or create unfavorable growing conditions that reduce overall garden health and productivity.

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Video | Soil & Composting

How to Save Produce Seeds

Saving seeds from supermarket produce teaches kids about plant life cycles and offers a free, hands-on way to grow your own food while connecting you to where your meals come from.

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Video | How to Plant Your Seed Tray

Video | Harvesting

Science Video | The Carbon Cycle

Math | Seed Tray

Math Download

Sources & References for the Homestead Ec Garden Box 🌿

Explore the science and skills behind the Garden Box! Below is a list of references used to create the lessons on planning, planting, soil science, composting, companion planting, and the carbon cycle.

Planning Your Garden

University of Illinois Extension. (n.d.). Plan Your Garden. Retrieved from https://web.extension.illinois.edu/veggies/plan.cfm

KidsGardening. (n.d.). Starting a Garden with Kids. Retrieved from https://kidsgardening.org/

Companion Planting

The Old Farmer’s Almanac. (n.d.). Companion Planting Guide. Retrieved from https://www.almanac.com/content/companion-planting-guide

National Geographic. (n.d.). What is Companion Planting? Retrieved from https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/companion-planting

Soil & Composting

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. (n.d.). What is Soil? Retrieved from https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/soils/

EPA. (n.d.). Composting at Home. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home

Soil Science Society of America. (n.d.). Soil Basics. Retrieved from https://www.soils.org/about-soils/basics

Carbon Cycle

National Geographic. (n.d.). Carbon Cycle Explained. Retrieved from https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/carbon-cycle

NASA Earth Science. (n.d.). The Carbon Cycle. Retrieved from https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/CarbonCycle

How Plants Grow

KidsGardening. (n.d.). Plant Science Basics. Retrieved from https://kidsgardening.org/resources/plant-science/

BBC Bitesize. (n.d.). What Do Plants Need to Grow? Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zpxnyrd/articles/zxxsyrd

Seed Starting

University of Minnesota Extension. (n.d.). Seed Starting Indoors. Retrieved from https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/starting-seeds-indoors

The Spruce. (n.d.). How to Start Seeds Indoors. Retrieved from https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-start-seeds-indoors-1402133

Why Gardening Matters for Kids

American Horticultural Society. (n.d.). Benefits of Gardening for Children. Retrieved from https://ahsgardening.org/gardening-programs/youth-gardening/benefits/

Healthline. (2020). Why Gardening is Great for Kids. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/gardening-with-kids