Mission Endure 53: 12 Gardening Mistakes You’re Making Right Now
Here is a list of the 12 most common mistakes people are making in their garden right now. Most of these come from my own personal experience with mistakes I have made.
It seems that no matter how long you have been gardening, there is always something to learn. After all, making mistakes is just part of the learning process.
Here’s how to avoid making some common gardening mistakes and steering you along the way to that green thumb!
1. Overwatering
Did you know that more plants are killed by overwatering than from underwatering?
Overwatering can also increase harmful fungus issues and drown out your plants. To prevent this, test the soil by putting your fingers into it; if it is drying out, then your plants need water. In most climates, watering a few times a week, approximately an inch of water at a time should suffice.
I make this mistake often!
2. Crowding Your Plants
Overcrowding leads to unhealthy plants and less production. Plants need sufficient room to grow, their leaves shouldn’t be blocked from getting sunlight, and they need room to spread their branches and roots. To solve overcrowding, follow the directions on the seed packets or plant tags regarding spacing and spend some time consistently thinning out the seedlings.
I am guilty here also!
3. Using Too Little Or Too Much Mulch
Besides using mulch to suppress the weeds which compete for nutrients, mulch helps retain moisture. With too little mulch, the moisture will dry up and evaporate. And if you have too much mulch, the water won’t reach the soil so the plant roots will mostly dry out and die. So spread your mulch out without smothering the plants to allow room for the water to get down to the roots.
4. Failure To Plan
It’s always good advice to be realistic in the number of vegetables that are planted each year. The goal of gardening is to be a positive experience. You certainly don’t want to get worn out or harvest vegetables that you don’t enjoy eating.
5. Not Trying Natural Fertilizers
Since soil is the most important element for your garden, you need to find a quality natural fertilizer to use. There are natural ingredients to make your own fertilizer at most local feed companies. Chemical solutions to handle the weeds and pests feeding on your plants only leads to you ingesting pesticides into your body when you consume the produce which can lead to ill health.
Just think, natural fertilizer yields better tasting and better quality food… and a better you!
6. Planting Seeds Too Late
The winter season is a great time to look through seed catalogs. When ordering, allow enough time for the seeds to sprout for 6-8 weeks before planting. Consider using grow lights and seed trays with warmers or if you have a greenhouse, that is a wonderful setting to start seeds before the planting season.
We tried to aggressive doing this in 2021. We planted all of our seedlings indoors about 6 weeks before the average final frost data of April 15 in our area. We planted our garden aroound April 20, and then on April 23 we had an unexpected 2” of snow and it killed about half of our plants. Be careful not to plant too early also. Keep an eye on the weather forecast. We were going out of town and had to plant before we left and hoped for the best. We were caught in a bad situation. Now we will probably have to replant half of our garden
7. Not Purchasing Quality Plants
In the early month of planting, visit a reputable nursery that is more likely to supply a healthy stock. This product quality correlates to a higher success rate for the plants. Even if you pay more money for these plants, the results will be well worth it!
We have been growing our own seeds. but, in years past we have used seeds from 2 or 3 year old harvests. Not this year. We are only using the best seed harvested last fall. We will see if this reaps benefits.
8. Ignoring Weeding
Weeds will choke your plants and compete for water and nutrients. Try to keep up your weeding regimen so you can contain the weeds and eliminate the chance of having larger weeds with undoubtedly larger roots to pull. Also, try using mulch between the rows of plants to smother the weeds.
We have moved to the minibeds system, which means that 75% of our garden is covered by landscape fabric and should not have many weeds. That also means that 75% of your garden is not productive. It is quite a tradeoff, but it keeps us from being overrun with weeds.
9. Not Planting Flowers To Attract Pollinators
Some plants are self-pollinated, but most edible plants need to be pollinated to produce fruits and seeds. These plants need butterflies, wasps, beetles, flies, and bees to carry pollen from plant to plant. To help these creatures find your garden, plant a mixture of pollinator-friendly plants in your yard such as lavender, bee balm, catmint, and herbs such as oregano, fennel, dill, and thyme.
We haven’t done much of this in the past, but we did it this year to both attract pollenators and repel critters.
10. Not Staggering Harvest Times
Strategic planning with harvest times (planting vegetables that mature at different times) helps you to have more variety of vegetables over an extended time. Some vegetables will grow better in early summer before the temperatures soar and other plants can wait to be planted later. Some other vegetables will only produce for a limited time and can be sown in staggered plantings. This way your garden space is maximized and you can look forward to eating scrumptious vegetables for a longer time period.
We did this with carrots, radishes, lettuce, and onions this year.
11. Not Having Suitable Fencing
Herbivores like groundhogs, rabbits, deer, etc. will be attracted to your plantings so you need a sturdy fence. Depending on the animals that live in your area, you can install a fence that will do the job. Sometimes, angling the top part of the fence, burying a portion of the fence, and even having a double fence will be enough of a deterrence.
This was one of our big focuses in 2021. Seems like every year we add another layer of fencing to our garden. We are tired of rabbits and raccoons eating our lettuce and peppers down to the ground. We put up three layers of fencing to help keep out critters this year. Hopefully it will pay off.
12. Tending Your Garden
You’ve succeeded in getting your garden planted. But don’t forget that your garden needs routine maintenance. The plants need to be watered, staked, and harvested. To prevent your vegetables from going to waste, you need to spend time in the garden on routine chores.
Then you are sure to reap the rewards not only of a bountiful harvest but you will also have the confidence in gardening which will inspire you for next year’s gardening project.
Sometimes this can be he hardest part. Everyone loves working in the garden when the weather is cool and nice. But, come July and August, hen your garden needs the most help, it can be the most difficult time to work outdoors. Keep motivated and tend to your garden. It will pay off in the end.