Have You Ever Played In A Garden as a Kid? How About Earning a Few Bucks Gardening?

If you have ever played in a garden, then you know how much there is
to be done! During the warmer months, many garden owners are happy to pay someone to do all of the dirty work for them. This is especially true of families who are going on vacation or weekend trips, but don’t want to go through the hassle of hiring a gardener. Why not be the temporary worker that they need? Or offer cheap services that take only a short amount of time, that everyone could benefit from?

What Types of Work Can A Kid or Teen Do In A Garden?

There is so much work that needs to be done in a garden that it isn’t even funny. If you have never spent much time around a garden, you would truly be amazed at how much work it requires to keep a garden well maintained and healthy. Working adults find this hard to do at times; this is where kids and tweens can step in to earn a little bit of pocket change! Try offering these types of services:

• Watering the garden.
• Weeding the garden.
• Fertilizing.
• Picking ripe fruits and vegetables for the gardener.
• Removing debris, twigs, leaves, and trash from a garden.
• Removing dead plants, or planting new ones.
• Transplanting young plants.
• Building new beds.
• Mulching beds.
• Dog poop cleaning (or have them pay you and walk the dogs as a job too!)

How Much Can a 9, 10, 11, or 12 Year Old Charge for These Types Of Jobs?

If you are fully experienced with intermediate and advanced gardening (such as building beds, knowing which fertilizer formulas different plants need, and proper transplanting techniques), you could charge higher rates for an all in one service, perhaps $50- $100 per week. If you have minor experience and plan to offer basic services, you could offer to water or weed the gardens for $5-$10 per hour. It all depends on your clients, the time of year, and the task at hand. The harder the job is, the more you should charge. You can call local landscaping services in your area and “price check” them to see what their going rates are to make a decision about your own.

Can Kids Do Garden Work All Year Round as A Job?

Yes! Gardens always need some type of maintenance. No matter what time of year it is, you can rest assured that someone will need your assistance.  During the fall, beds must be mulched to prepare the delicate roots for the winter cold. Mulching is almost like tucking the plants in at night to keep them warm. During the winter, old or dead plants need to either be plucked from the ground or pruned. This makes room for new growth in the spring. Once late winter comes along, it is time to begin starting seeds; this way, they have gotten a head start for the spring time growing season. Storms will also blow trash and cans into the garden during late winter and early spring; you can be the trash kid and throw away the trash while recycling the metal and aluminum. As you can see, there is always some sort of work that needs to be done in a garden. Since teens have so much more time on their hands than the adults who own the gardens, it’s the perfect job!