People love gardening for many different reasons. Some enjoy the peacefulness of working outdoors, while others love the magic of nurturing a small seed and watching it grow into a strong and healthy plant. For others, gardening is a necessity if you want to make your yard look nice or grow your own fruits and vegetables. Whatever your reason for gardening, chances are, you’re probably doing it wrong. Not allof it, but there are probably some habits you could change that would enhance the health of your garden. In today's’ post from Frostproof Growers, the premier supplier of gardening tools and growing supplies, we’re going to discuss the most common gardening mistakes. Check them out and take note of how many you’re guilty of!   

Not Watering Correctly

This is probably the most common gardening blunder. Everyone knows that plants need water, but just dumping a watering can full of water on your plants every now and then will likely end in disaster. When it comes to watering, it’s a matter of knowing when and how much.

The best thing you can do is get to know your plants. Some prefer a lot of water, some prefer little. Some need constant posture while others do best if you allow them to dry out between waterings. If you notice your plant starting to shrivel up or droop in the hot summer sun, chances are, it needs more water. And, despite what you’ve heard about water scorching leaves if applied on a sunny day — that’s simply not true. The water won’t hurt the leaves, but chances are much of it will evaporate instead of getting down into the roots where it’s needed.

There is also such a thing as watering too much, and people do it all the time. It’s not that they mean any harm, but if a little bit of water is good, then extra water should help things grow even faster, right? Unfortunately, overwatering your plants can promote root rot and fungal disease, and some plants are more sensitive than others. Again, it’s best to get to know the needs of each of your plants so you can give them just what they need to thrive (and survive).

Planting Too Much

New gardeners are often excited about the prospect of having fresh vegetables at their fingertips, anytime they want them, and therefore many who are just starting out will tend to overplant. For example, you love tomatoes. The thought of having vine-ripened, red-ripe tomatoes in your backyard makes you want to jump for joy. You start thinking of all the things you’ll make...homemade spaghetti sauce, fresh salsa, and maybe even your own bloody mary mix! You decide that you want to make sure you have enough tomatoes to feed your ambitions so you plant seven tomato plants — one for every day of the week. Makes sense, right? Only if you have a large open space and you’re planning to do a lot of canning!

It can get easy to get caught up in the excitement of growing your own food, but especially for a first-time gardener, it's good to start out small — until you know what you’re getting yourself into. If you have the time, the space, and a small army to feed, you could certainly plant seven tomato plants in your garden. However, if there are just one or two people in your household that like tomatoes, you’ll be swimming in them before you know it. Again, it’s good to get to know what you’re planting, and in the case of fruits, vegetables, and herbs, you should have a good idea of how much (and for how long) they’ll produce. If you go overboard right out of the gate you’ll be frustrated with the amount of work that’s involved and reluctant to stick with your new hobby.

Putting Off Necessary Tasks

What’s your favorite part of gardening? For most people, once spring rolls around they’re already starting to think about all of the delicious, fresh food they’re going to enjoy. It’s easy to think about picking that first juicy cucumber when someone mentions “gardening”, but the fact is, gardening really involves a bunch of tasks you’d rather not do so you can get to the point of where you’re actually harvesting.

Once you prepare your garden and plant your seeds or seedlings, you might be tempted to assume that you can just sit back and wait for things to grow. Unfortunately, this just isn’t the case. Weeding, feeding, and watering needs to be done on a regular schedule. Allowing weeds to take over will stunt the growth of many plants and reduce their yield. This is because plants don't like competition for water and nutrients. Neglect watering for a day or two during a hot spell and you’ll find shriveled up leaves and twigs that are beyond saving. Did you assume that you wouldn't have to feed your plants because you gave them food and compost when you first prepared the garden? How would you like it if someone only fed you one a season?

The point is, there is a lot more to gardening than most people think. No one ever said gardening was easy, but do the right things and put in the hard work, and you will be rewarded for it.

Not Providing Adequate Protection

Your plants rely on you to keep them safe. Although you may not be prepared for a random frost in the late spring, you should be prepared for the critters who enjoy your plants just as much as you do. Animals like deer, rabbits, and groundhogs can do a number on your garden in just one night. That’s why it’s important to protect your garden with fencing. Just make sure that you install a fence high enough so that they can’t jump over it.

Choosing the Wrong Plants.

One of the most exciting parts of gardening is going to the nursery at the beginning of the season to pick out the items you’re going to plant. Many people fall victim to buying unusual-looking plants or exotic vegetables and herbs they’ve never seen before. There’s probably a reason why you’ve never seen them around — it’s probably because they don’t grow well in your area. Just because you found a rhubarb plant at your neighborhood greenhouse, that doesn’t mean it will grow well in your yard.

While most local stores should primarily carry varieties for your planting zone, they often carry a few that don’t do so well. As fun as it is to just pick out “whatever speaks to you,” it’s best to do some research before heading to the nursery. Don’t have time to spend hours on your computer reading through gardening websites? You can start by just looking at what your neighbors are growing to get a good idea of what you should plant.

Shop Frostproof Growers Supply

When it comes to gardening, making sure you have the right gardening tools is as important as buying the right plants. At Frostproof Growers Supply, we have everything for both the beginner gardener and master gardener. From watering tools and weed fabric to harvesting tools and pest control supplies, we have it all — simply visit our website, place your order, and we’ll ship your gardening supplies right to your door!

Looking for more gardening tips? Don’t forget to follow along with our blog for useful information to help your garden grow!