Top gardening mistakes beginners make

Top gardening mistakes beginners make

When you’re a beginner gardener, making mistakes is inevitable. But there are some mistakes that are easy to avoid, from overwatering your plants to pest invasion. We want to help our newbie gardeners by sharing the top mistakes beginners make and explain how to avoid them. Are you guilty of making any of these mistakes?

Overwatering your plants

We all know that plants need watering in order to survive but being too generous with can weaken plants and cause them to wilt. One way of avoiding this is by keeping the top few inches of the soil moderately moist. When it starts to feel dry, water it deeply and allow the soil to dry to the touch again before watering again. This is a great rule of thumb for almost all plants but as with everything there is always an exception. For example, bog plants love to sit in water. If you are not sure what your plant would prefer less is more when it comes to watering

Give your plants space

Plants need plenty of room to grow and stretch their roots and if you’re packing your plants into one small space, chances are they’re not going to grow very successfully. If air can’t properly circulate and the plants can’t dry out between watering, fungus can set in and the roots can rot. Each plant has its own spacing needs so it’s important to check how much space they need before you place them in the ground.

Buying in bloom

If you’re looking for new flowers, don’t pick the ones that in the full bloom. As attractive and beautiful as they are, it won’t be long until they start to die. Just like when you’re in a supermarket, you’re going to pick the foods that have the longest use-by-date as it gives you more time to enjoy it.  This also applies to flowers too. Picking plants that have plump buds that are yet to bloom will allow you to enjoy the flowers for much longer.

Planting out of season

Before you buy a plant or seed always check when it’s best to plant them. A common mistake amongst UK gardeners is planting them in the wrong season, causing them to die off quickly. If you’re looking to add new plants to your garden, check what plants are best to grow in that season.

Pests

It’s worth learning about which pests are likely to strike on your plants and when.  Many people don’t start dealing with pests until it’s too late so being prepared for them and treating them early will prevent any problems. To help keep your plants safe you can use an eco-friendly deter spray, such as a garlic oil spray.