7 Common Gardening Mistakes to Avoid

Expertise in gardening comes with time and experience – a lot of it! Every new (or not so new) gardener will make mistakes. I’ve been growing ranunculus flowers from corms for years, bringing them inside to overwinter and waking them up in the spring. I’ve had beautiful blooms that I use for cut flowers to decorate my house with. Well, this year, I was 100% unsuccessful. It happens to the best of us.

There are always new obstacles to overcome when gardening,and sometimes some of them are unforeseen! Don’t be discouraged! I’ve written this article so that you can learn from my mistakes and avoid making them in your own gardens this year.

7 Gardening mistakes to avoid this year:

1. Putting your plants out of sight.

   
   

I used to do this with my seedlings when I first started out, thinking I didn’t want to give up precious kitchen space for trays and trays of flowers and veggies. So I put them in a spare bedroom that I never go in or think about, watering the plants if I remember. Well, you can guess what happened. That’s right, they all died. So not only did I spend money (and time) sprouting these seeds, but I had to go spend hundreds of dollars at the greenhouse to replace all my dead plants.

Now, I keep my seedlings in the mechanical room downstairs. I know that sounds like an even worse location (who even goes and randomly checks on their furnace?), but that is also where we keep our deep freeze. I venture down there almost every morning to pull meat out for supper that night, so my seedlings are actually in a really obvious spot for me. I was able to find a cheap indoor greenhouse and some grow lights, making my dark, dingy basement the perfect growing environment for my babies.

2. Overcomitting

   
   

I’m still guilty of this. Thumbing through seed catalogues, looking at Pinterest boards, and going to cut flower seminars. By the end of winter, I often have enough seeds and bulbs that I could start my own store! The biggest issue with overplanting is that it turns into a huge commitment during mid-summer and fall when you have to care for your plants through a drought and harvest them all on time.

My advice would be to start small. If you’re a complete newbie, even a couple of containers on your porch can help you get a feel for watering, harvesting, weeding, dead heading, etc. Or if you have the space for a larger raised bed, make a list of your 5 favourite vegetables, do a little research, and make a plan to plant those from seed or established seeds from a greenhouse.

3. Planting too soon or too late.

   
   

I get it. It’s the end of winter and we all have cabin fever. Antsy to get out and put our hands in some dirt. It’s tough not to rush out the door on that first warm, sunny spring day and put all your plants in the ground. But, what happens more often than not (especially up here in zone 3) is the temperature drops drastically and suddenly all your plants have frost kill.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, waiting too long can mean your plants are too young when the heat of summer hit, or the cold arrives too soon in the fall for you to get a proper harvest.

Make sure you’re reading the back of the seed packet or doing your research on the best times to plant. This will help you determine if it’s safe to plant out in the garden yet or not. Hardening off your seedlings will also make a huge difference when transitioning your plants from indoors to outdoors (here’s how).

Consult your local Farmer's Almanac or Department of Agriculture website for a list of the estimated last frost dates.

Read: How to determine the best planting dates.

4. Assuming all soil is the same

   
   

   

   
   

Usually, the bagged soil you buy from a greenhouse or garden center will be adequate for vegetable and flower gardening. But if you have an in-ground garden or large raised beds, the nutrients and soil composition will change over the years. Soil that was once filled with nutrients and organic matter can turn into a pile of dry, depleted dirt.

Before planting, either in early spring or in the fall during garden clean up, I recommend adding any soil amendments that are necessary. Mixing in a slow release fertilizer can help replenish the soil nutrients and adding compost will increase the organic matter.

I am a low-maintenance gardener, so I will mulch my grass clippings in the fall and add them directly to my garden, stirring it in so they can slowly break down over the fall and winter.

5. Not knowing the light requirements

   
   

Certain vegetables are native to warm areas of the world and need lots of sun and heat, like peppers. On the opposite side, leafy plants like lettuce will burn if they are planted in full sun. This is another reason that container garden is so beginner friendly because you can move your garden around based on the types of plants you want to garden.

6. Overcrowding

   
   

It’s easy to overcrowd your plants when you’re first planting because they’re so small and the wide spacing looks funny. But, they will grow and fill the space. Try as best as you can to follow the space recommendations. When plants are too close together, they don’t thrive because they compete for water and nutrients. They also become more prone to diseases because air can’t circulate between them and dry up moist conditions after a rain.

7. Not harvesting on time

   
   

Or if you’re me, completely forgetting to harvest altogether. There have been countless times I’ve wandered out to the garden and finally remembered to check my zucchini plants only to see a toddler sized squash sitting under those huge leaves. Waiting to harvest zucchini until it’s larger isn’t a big deal, but it can really affect the taste and quality of other vegetables.

Missing the mark on basil can cause bitter leaves and an overgrown cucumber can be dry and hard. To avoid this, make sure you start checking your plants every day when harvest time is nearing and picking the fruits and vegetables as they ripen.

These are just some of the mistakes I made when I was a newbie. I hope that these will help you in this gardening season, giving you a better chance of having a big beautiful garden! Just remember, it’s okay and completely normal to make mistakes. Just jot them down along with the lesson you learned and take that new knowledge into next season with you.