It is time to get the garden ready. Cathy Isom reviews some of the biggest mistakes in gardening and how to avoid them. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Growing great vegetables takes experience. And mistakes are bound to happen along the way. Plants are unpredictable and can also be uncooperative. Here are some of the most common mistakes and how to avoid them.
- Mistake # 1 – Planting too early. Make sure to have a plan for hardening off plants and protecting them if a late frost is predicted. Reading on how to start growing your own fruit and vegetables before planting can help you avoid mistakes.
- Mistake # 2 – Picking a bad spot to plant is another common mistake. Most plants require at least 6 hours of full sun per day, as well as an adequate water supply.
- Mistake # 3 – Skimping on soil. Starting off with poor soil means you will be fighting against it all season.
- Mistake # 4 – Not Harvesting. Not harvesting when a vegetable is ready to be picked will actually cause your garden to slow down.
- Mistake # 5 – Planting too much. Too much variety can also overwhelm you. Start small and plant things you really enjoy eating or can’t buy locally.
- Mistake # 6 – Ignoring Spacing. Proper spacing is needed for sun and air circulation. Or, you’ll be dealing with diseases, lower yields, and difficulty harvesting.
- Mistake #7 – Not staggering harvest times. It’s important to do some strategic planning to stagger your harvest times. There are several ways to do this, including succession planting and planting varieties that mature at different times.
- Mistake # 8 – Putting off maintenance – weeding, feeding, and watering are a way of life for gardening. Without these 3 things, plants will stress and shut down.
I’m Cathy Isom…