Worksheets and No Prep Teaching Resources
Worksheets and No Prep Teaching Resources
Reading Comprehension Worksheets
Plants
Spring
Planting a Garden

Plants
Plants


Planting a Garden
Print Planting a Garden Reading Comprehension with Fifth Grade Work

Print Planting a Garden Reading Comprehension with Sixth Grade Work

Print Planting a Garden Reading Comprehension

Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 5 to 7
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   5.6

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    plant-friendly, nitrogen, eggplant, houseplants, knowing, loam, peat, which, organic, flowerpot, improve, terrarium, whatever, however, early, layer

Other Languages
     Spanish: Plantando un Jardín


Planting a Garden
By Sharon Fabian
  

1     Which would you like - flowers or vegetables? Would you prefer daisies or roses, tiny violets or giant sunflowers? Maybe you would like corn on the cob, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, or an eggplant. Or maybe you prefer green leafy houseplants, a lily in a flowerpot, tiny plants in a terrarium, wildflowers that you can dry to save, or a butterfly garden.
 
2     Gardening gives you a lot of interesting choices, but whatever you hope to grow, knowing some gardening basics will give you a much better chance of success.
 
3     First you will need to choose a good location for your garden. A sunny location usually works best, since all plants need some sunlight, and most plants need lots of it to thrive. However there are some plants that need only indirect sunlight, and these plants will do best in shady spots.
 
4     Check for good soil too. The best kind of plant soil is called loam; it is loose soil that crumbles easily. Water drains through it well, and it has lots of nutrients to feed your plants. Soil that sticks together might have too much clay in it. Very loose, dry soil might have too much sand. You can improve the soil in your garden by adding organic materials such as compost, chopped leaves, or peat moss. The right amount of sunlight and good loamy soil will make your garden plant-friendly.
 
5     Plants need to be cared for, so be sure to check your garden often. Whether you are trying to grow beautiful flowers or tasty vegetables, they need regular care to make them grow strong and healthy. Here are some tips.
 
6     CLIMATE - Check a map of planting zones to choose plants that are right for your area.
 
7     MULCH - After you have planted your plants, add a layer of mulch on top of the soil. Mulch keeps the soil damp, keeps out pests, and adds more nutrients to the soil.
 
8     WATER - Water your plants early in the day. On the average, plants need about 1 inch of water each week.
 
9     FERTILIZER - If you are planting a big garden, use about 1 1/2 pounds per 100 square feet. (That's about a coffee can full.) If you are just planting a few plants, get a little container of plant food and follow the directions on the label. Plant fertilizer contains the three chemicals that are a big part of a plant's nutritional needs -- nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

Paragraphs 10 to 16:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable



Weekly Reading Books

          Create Weekly Reading Books

Prepare for an entire week at once!


Feedback on Planting a Garden
Leave your feedback on Planting a Garden   (use this link if you found an error in the story)



Plants
             Plants


Spring
             Spring


Science
             Science


    Careers in Science  
 
    Caring for Earth  
 
    Clouds  
 
    Dinosaurs  
 
    Earth's Land  
 
    Earth  
 
    Earthquakes  
 
    Electricity  
 
    Energy  
 
    Erosion  
 
    Food Pyramid  
 
    Food Webs and Food Chain  
 
    Forces and Motion  
 
    Fossils  
 
    Health and Nutrition  
 
    How Things Work  
 
    Landforms  
 
    Life Science  
 
    Light  
 
    Magnets  
 
    Matter  
 
 
    Moon  
 
    Natural Disasters  
 
    Photosynthesis  
 
    Plant and Animal Cells  
 
    Plants  
 
    Rocks and Minerals  
 
    Science Process Skills  
 
    Scientific Notation  
 
    Seasons  
 
    Simple Machines  
 
    Soil  
 
    Solar System  
 
    Sound  
 
    Space and Stars  
 
    Sun  
 
    Tsunami  
 
    Volcanoes  
 
    Water Cycle  
 
    Water  
 
    Weather  
 



Copyright © 2018 edHelper