One of the best ways to interest children in plants is to start working with them when they are young and curious. Teaching gardening basics to youngsters is not complicated, and it can be a lot of fun for little ones and their parents. Here are some ways to make the most of the endeavor.

Start by giving your children their own outdoor gardening space. It shouldn't be too large to manage but should be big enough for them to do what they do best — play. Give them fast-growing edibles to plant from seed, emphasizing that they can do anything they like with the area. If your youngsters want to try to build a patio or a fishpond there, that's what they should be doing.

Of course, gardening is a lot more than putting plants into the ground. You'll need to instill lessons on other crucial landscaping skills. Along the way, you may learn a few tricks yourself.

Remember to teach soil preparation to your little ones. Dry soil creeps up when you're least expecting it. As temperatures climb, soil moisture evaporation occurs rapidly. So, incorporate lots of compost to drain and enrich the growing medium, up to one-third compost to two-thirds native soil. Soil preparation involves lots of digging and mixing, which will probably be a lot of fun for children.

You also should show your children how to properly water plants. A gentle flow minimizes damage to roots. Water pressure should be light enough to flow onto the soil and percolate into the root zone. You don't want water delivering a hard spray that cuts holes into beds, runs off and erodes soil. It is generally not necessary to water the foliage of most plants.

To ensure that they water to the correct depth, teach youngsters to check moisture levels. A finger is still the best indicator. But, if you want to know how deeply water percolated, probe with a wooden dowel.

Watering can be accomplished one plant at a time. During dry spells, this will keep children occupied for long periods of time. You can also use sprinklers. More water is lost to evaporation, but your children will love running through the spray. A good rule of thumb is that catching one inch of water in a shallow can or saucer set under the sprinkler is usually enough to penetrate into soil four to eight inches, depending on soil type. Sand can percolate deeply and quickly but does not hold moisture like soil high in organic material.