Watching your garden thrive and take shape can be a beautifully rewarding feeling.
But it can be equally disheartening when it doesn’t quite come together, and you’ve no idea why.
Here are some common gardening mistakes you may be making, and how to fix them.
Pulling up flowers instead of weeds: Tracking plants can be a challenge for any gardener. To ensure you don’t pull up any precious plants or flowers by accident, mark them with the nursery tags they came with, or use some DIY tags to keep track of what is what.
Planting a garden in the wrong spot: You don’t have to tear out the beds entirely if you discover you’ve started a garden in the wrong place. Empty the raised beds (dig out the plants and lay them on a tarp while you work) and spread a four-inch layer of gravel evenly over the underside of the planters to improve the drainage. Then refill the planters with fresh compost.
Not preparing soil: It’s a good idea to test your soil annually with a home soil kit to find out what type of soil you have and what it needs based on what you want to grow. A good idea is to mix your soil with an equal amount of organic compost. It’s the best foundation for your garden. It gives your plants the nutrients they need without overloading them with chemical fertilisers which can ruin the activity needed for healthy plant growth.
Overwatering: Overwatering drowns plants roots, causing them to rot. Underwatering, on the other hand, can dehydrate it. Pay close attention to your soil. When the soil is rock hard, it needs watering. When you can grab a handful, squeeze it together, and form a loose ball, it’s just right. One trick is to plant an ‘indicator’ plant - one that wilts much more quickly than the others - such as a hydrangea or lettuce. One look at them on a hot day will tell you whether or not you need to water your plants.
Image via Pinterest.
