5 Common Gardening Mistakes
We’ve all made mistakes in the garden. Whether it was planting your sun loving strawberries in the shade, or showering your plants with too much love (and water), and drowning them! Gardening can be a bit trial and error. Some things flower and thrive and some struggle and die. Below we outline 5 common gardening mistakes that are often made in the garden, and how you can avoid them!
Not preparing the soil
Without good soil, a garden cannot thrive. It is important to do any soil preparation before planting as to ensure that plant roots are not disturbed. Most plants need around 6 to 8 inches of good soil for their roots to grow in.
Before planting, dig into the soil to loosen it up with a spade or fork. The next step is to mix in lots of healthy organic matter such as compost or sheep pellets – this will help give your plants the best start and will provide them with loads of nutrients to help them grow big and strong.
Planting in the wrong spot
Different plants need different climates to grow and thrive so when picking your plants at the garden centre, pay attention to their tags and what conditions they prefer. By choosing the right plants for the right area, you will save money and get better results.
If you are unsure about a specific plant or you’re after plants for a certain area in the garden, feel free to ask our experts in store – they’re there to help!
Not giving plants enough space
Plants need room to grow and while it can be tempting to plant them close together when they’re little seedlings, they will soon grow and suffer from overcrowding.
Planting flowers and veges too close together means they compete for the soil nutrients and water which will stunt their growth. Most plants should have a spacing recommendation on their label but if in doubt just ask our experts.
Overwatering
Often we’re afraid that our plants aren’t getting enough water, or if they start to look unwell we just water them. Wilting and dropping fruit or leaves is not always a sign of dehydration, in fact, it can sometimes mean the plant is getting too much water!
Different plants need different amounts of water so it pays to do a little bit of research before you plant. Vegetable gardens need to be watered deeply to avoid small and insufficient root systems. A great way to increase the water absorption in the soil is to apply a wetting agent such as SaturAid.
Check out our top watering tips for extra tips and advice.
Forgetting to fertilise
Like people, plants get hungry too, and sometimes they can’t get everything they need from the sun and the soil they’re planted in. Three important nutrients that plants require are nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium (NPK). These elements allow the plant to produce large healthy fruit and flowers and help protect against diseases.
There are a huge range of fertilisers available depending on the plant and the nutrients required. It can be a bit overwhelming deciding which one is best so when in store just chat to our friendly staff and they can guide you towards which fertiliser is best for your garden.