God set down the first man, Adam, right in the middle of a garden. He had already given Adam all the tools he needed to make plant life grow. Many years have passed since then. But for the most part, God’s recipe for growth has stayed the same.

First, plants need soil. When a seed opens in the ground, it starts to grow roots. Without soil, those roots would have no anchor. As the plant got bigger and bigger, it would probably fall down.

Second, plants need nutrients. Soil holds plant-food like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium. The plant’s roots suck up those nutrients from soil kind of like milk through a straw.

Third, plants need sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water. These things help the plant perform a process called photosynthesis. The part of a plant called chlorophyll (the part that makes the plant green) grabs sunlight. The plant gathers carbon dioxide from the air. It gets water from the air and soil. In photosynthesis, the plant changes these ingredients into its food.

Last, plants need space, and we don’t mean the kind the astronauts are flying through! Like people, plants need plenty of room to live and grow.