So you have decided to start a garden. You have read all the books, talked to gardening mavens and are now ready to take the plunge. Drowning your flowers with over watering and digging up seedling that you thought were weeds are just a few of the mistakes novice gardeners make.
Before you start your garden here are the top 5 gardening mistakes:
1) Planting a garden in the wrong area – location, location, location! Plants that are well suited to their site will establish easily and grow wonderfully. They will develop a healthy root system and grow into healthy plants. Before planting your garden do a bit of research on the plants that you would like to see in that area. Make sure they are plants that are suited to the area, for instance, if the area gets only sun and you want flowering plants you would plant geraniums or sunshine inpatients. The extra time taken to do a bit of research will definitely pay off when your garden is healthy and flourishing.
2) “I thought it was a weed”, accidentally pulling up flowers instead of weeds. – This is a tough one for even the most experienced gardener. There is no sure fire way to keep track of new sprouts that are perennials and not weeds but the easiest system is to keep the nursery tags that come with your plants or use popsicle sticks inserted in the ground in the area that your perennials are planted.
3) Soil preparation or lack there of – knowing what kind of soil you have and what it is lacking can be a challenge. The easiest solution is to pick up an at home soil testing kit. This will tell you what you need to add to your soil in order to make your garden flourish. Keep in mind that it is always a good idea to mix your soil with equal amounts of organic compost.
4) Over watering – over watering your plants can cause them to drown and their roots to rot. The simple method to see if you soil needs or doesn’t need watering is to grab a fistful of soil, if it stay together nicely in a ball it does not need watering.
5) Planting an invasive variety – Plants like horseradish, mint, and ivy are extremely invasive and better off in containers so that you can control them. If you are ordering seeds from a catalogue and see words such as prolific re-seeder and vigorous growth that is a sure sign that the plants will be invasive and take over your garden.
So there you have it! Our top five gardening mistakes to avoid. Now have fun gardening.
Tags: landscaping mistakes
