22 City Gardening-Mid

City Gardening FOCUS Question How can people grow food in small spaces?

Where Food Grows People grow fruits and vegetables on farms. They also grow these plants in big gardens. But what if you live in a city? You can grow plants in a small space. even if you have no yard at all!

What Plants Need Plants need sunlight and air. Light and air help plants make plant food Plants also need soil. Good soil has nutrients (NOO-tree-unts) that help plants grow. Finally plants need water. Water keeps plants healthy With these things, you can grow your own food!

No Yard? No Problem! Maybe you have no yard to dig in. You can grow food in containers! Use a container large enough to hold the plant's roots. Grow small plants in cans. Grow big plants in wood boxes or pots.

Raise Your Plants A tiny place outside can hold a raised garden. Make sides for the garden from wood or bricks. Fill the garden with good soil. You are ready to plant Raised gardens make caring for your plants easy! Math Moment Sam makes a raised garden that is 6 feet long. He wants to plant one row of peppers. The plants must be 2 feet apart. How many pepper plants should Sam buy? Draw a picture.

Composting Composting turns plants and other things into soil. Put grass, apple peels, and paper in a pile. Add a little water Over time the scraps in the pile rot. They turn into compost. Put the compost around your plants It has nutrients that your plants need.