Grow an Herb Garden

Jul 29, 2019

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Learn about the basics of botany and plant growth by growing an herb garden with your child.

While You Play

As you care for your plant, discuss your experiment together.

Try talking about the passage of time.
Estimate how long it’ll take for the
plants to grow: One day? One week? One month?

Make predictions about what your plant will look like. How tall do you think the plant will grow? What color will it be? Encourage your child to think about plants she’s seen or herbs he’s eaten. That’s a good example of the herbs you’ll grow together.

Chart the plant’s growth over time and observe how the plants react to water and light. What happens if you deprive a plant from water? What about light? Explain to your child that the plant won’t grow without water or light because it needs those ingredients to live healthily. That’s the plant’s source of food and energy.

What You'll Need

Direction

Clean an empty milk carton and let it dry.

Lay the carton on its side and cut off one side.

Flip the carton over and use the scissors to poke a few holes in the other side. Place a tray underneath the carton (the side with the holes should be touching the tray).

If you’d like to, decorate the carton! Color or glue colored paper to the sides of the carton.

Fill up the carton with soil, almost to the top. Poke four holes halfway through the soil.

Place your herbs in the holes of the soil. Make sure to label each one with the correct name.

Fill the rest of the hole with soil so the
herbs stay in place. Lightly water the soil.(The tray may get a little wet here, and that’s okay!)

Place the tray with your herbs in a warm, sunny spot and watch them grow over time. Feel the soil each day. If it feels dry, it’s time to water your seeds.