Avoid these mistakes for a more productive vegetable garden .
Caitlin Atkinson
Gardening is all about progress , not perfection , and every agriculturalist makes a few mistakes from fourth dimension to time . It does n’t matter whether you ’ve been gardening for year or juststarted your first garden — small “ whoopsies ” are part of the gardening process . However , if you want to make your garden move as smoothly as potential and keep your plants productive , here are some of the most common garden mistake that agriculturist make and effectual ways to avoid them .
Credit:Caitlin Atkinson
1. Gardening in the Wrong Location
Whether you’regrowing veg in kick upstairs bed , in - ground garden , or raise bags , it ’s crucial to locate your garden in the correct locating for the types of industrial plant you require to uprise . Most vegetables arefull sunshine plantsthat require six to eight hour of brilliant visible light day by day to be fertile , and they wo n’t thrive in shady spots or poorly drain areas where the ground stays soggy . If your yard is waterlogged or super umbrageous , keep your plants in raised beds and focus onvegetables that tolerate low ignitor , like leafy viridity and common beet .
2. Growing in Poor Soil
Beyond drainage issues , soils that are rocky , grueling with Lucius DuBignon Clay , too sandy , or miserable in nutrient make it muchharder to maturate vegetable . take a soil test is the good agency to get hold out if your garden is suitable for plants or if you need toimprove your dirt with amendments , like compost orpH adjustor . Once you have the dirt wellness see out , apply a 1 to 2 - in layer ofcompost , aged manure , or wrestle castings over your garden beds every spring or fall to insure the grease last out in tip - top shape .
3. Choosing the Wrong Plants
While you may dream of growingmassive pumpkinsor long - seasonloofah sponges , not all vegetables are suitable for every garden . Large plant life like squash vine , melons , and Zea mays can quickly overwhelm small gardens , while ginger and other plant that take a long fourth dimension to mature may not have enough clock time to grow if you live in an domain with a short growing time of year . select plants that are suitably sized for your quad and that can achieve a harvestable sizebefore fall frosts are expected in your areacan help you avoid a lot of cephalalgia .
4. Overcrowding Beds
It ’s tempting to squeeze as many plants into garden bed as potential , but this does n’t put to work and can lead to stunted works andmildew issuesthat broadcast chop-chop when plants are overcrowded . Ensuring your plant have plenty of breathing elbow room by following recommended spacing requirements is sometimes the best way to make small garden more productive .
5. Planting at the Wrong Time
6. Not Hardening Off
Plants purchase from garden centers have usually beenhardened offalready , but any seed you start indoors should be slowly acclimated to outdoor livelihood beforeyou move them outside for good . tardily bring out plants to outside temperature and bright light-headed level is the best way to forbid common transplant issues , like sunscald andtransplant shock .
7. Watering Too Much or Too Little
Next to insufficient lighting , overwatering and underwatering are the most unwashed intellect vegetable crops fail . Most veggie require about 1 column inch of water per workweek , so you should irrigate them when the top 1 inch of soil finger ironical . If possible , usedrip irrigation or dipsomaniac hose , or train your garden hosiery at the soil line to keep the plant leaves ironic and prevent fungal issues .
8. Underfertilizing or Overfertilizing
Some plants need more plant food than others , so it ’s important to do a turn of research to determine precisely how much fertilizer your plant demand . Most veg do well if you remediate the grease with compost before planting and then apply abalanced liquidity or gritty fertilizerthroughout the season . However , heavy - feeding crops like melons often involve more fertilizer . Do n’t overdo it , though . Too much fertilizer can cauterise plant roots .
9. Letting Weeds Creep In
There is no such thing as a truly weed - detached garden , and veg beds need to be weeded on a regular basis to keep sess from taking over . you’re able to thin out scraggy exit and make gardens more manageable by practicingno - till garden methodsand keep your grime covered with a 1- to 3 - inch level of mulch at all times . If dope find their means in , apply a hori - horito dig out dandelion and other mysterious - rout works .
10. Neglecting Pest Control
Having some insects around helps garden grow better , so you do n’t need to go overboard with plague control . However , taking some pest control safeguard from the moment you start planting in spring can help you avoid a mass of pest takings and keep your plants healthier overall . For starters , rotate crops such as love apple around the garden every grow season , usecompanion plant to naturally deter pests , and considerinstalling words coversover brassicas to keep bread worms from invading .
