The Most Common Mistakes People Make When Gardening

Gardening can be a very fun pastime for those with green fingers. It can be both therapeutic and productive. A tidy garden is a tidy mind. There are a wide array of gardening books out there, but people still seem to make some very common and avoidable mistakes. Here is a list of the most common mistakes, and how you can avoid them when out in your garden.

The Most Common Mistakes People Make When Gardening

Source

 

Not preparing the soil properly:

 

Many people get lazy when preparing the soil and simply make a small hole with their fingers for the seed. Big mistake! Some gardening ideas would be to dig the soil thoroughly and dig again. This will give the soil the preparation needed for planting, and help prevent it from going rock hard. When the soil goes hard, it prevents the roots of the plant from penetrating it and will make them grow a bit wonky. You also need to make sure that the soil isn’t too wet, because this again will prevent the roots from penetrating the soil and getting the nutrients and space that they need to grow fully and bloom nicely every year.

 

Watering too much and too little:

 

This is a crime that most enthusiastic gardeners are guilty of from time to time. Once your plants have developed a good root system, you should only water them occasionally. The last thing you want is to kill your plants with a little too much love by watering them too frequently. When you water your plants too much, you will quickly notice that they are more fragile and will wilt in the sun. This is a big mistake! Many gardeners even don’t water their plants effectively. They give the plant a quick shower and walk off satisfied. But this is another big mistake. You have to always bear in mind that plants drink water through their roots, so you need to be watering the roots as well as showering off the dust from the leaves.

 

Planting too much:

 

We’ve all been there. We’ve just started out gardening and we decide to get a bit over our heads with excitement at the prospect of growing our own vegetables. We end up planting every veg we have ever eaten and don’t think about what to do when all of these crops are ready. Take my advice here and seek advice from the local greenhouses and from your neighbours. Ask them what grows well in your area. What veg is least likely to thrive? How much will the crops produce? Only plant what you know you’re going to eat when the time comes to it, because the last thing you want is to be wasting valuable food. You could even use this as an opportunity to do a good dead and make soup for the local homeless shelter with excess crop, or you could donate excess veggies to the local food bank. If you produce too much food, then please don’t waste it!

 

Follow this advice and you are sure to not make too many mistakes when you’re first starting out in your garden – and you’ll have a lot of fun in the process of dirtying your hands too.

Speak Your Mind

*