Whether you are a beginning gardener or a seasoned one, you want to be sure that you avoid these common gardening mistakes that can ruin your harvest. Don't do all the work for your garden and not reap the benefits - make sure you start your garden off right and get as much from it as you can.
Gardening can be super fun, but it is also a ton of work. So, the worst thing that can happen is you spend a ton of time planting crops and then don't get that much of a harvest.
Usually, you can avoid major gardening pitfalls if you know the mistakes to look out for and plan around. I know that our first garden season we didn't get near the harvest we wanted simply because we picked the wrong crops (hint - more on that below).
Gardening Mistakes to Avoid
So, let's jump right into some of the most common gardening mistakes we have seen from fellow gardeners - and some solutions for them so you can grow your best garden yet.
Choosing the Wrong Crops
Making sure you know your gardening goals and choose the right crops to meet them is so important. Our first year we decided to plant lots of black beans because we eat them a lot. Well, it just wasn't the best use of our limited space and the other crops that we missed out on planting we could have really used.
So, whether you like unique crops to grow or want things to happen fast by choosing fasting growing crops. Make sure you pick the right ones that suit your needs, space and time.
Improper Spacing
Look, I get it - measuring out spaces to plop your seeds in may not be fun or fast. But, you'll thank yourself later when you don't have so many cucumber plants in one box that you can't reach them all or find the vines to trellis properly (ask me how I know).
Making sure your plants have enough space between them not only allows you room to work in the garden it also allows them enough room to grow properly and have enough nutrients to produce high yields.
Incorrect Soil
Soil is a very important factor in getting big, healthy, high yielding crops. Make sure you know what kind of soil you have and if you need to add anything in to help your plants.
For example, we have hard, red clay here and our first year we didn't really do anything other than till it up. You can probably guess how that went. The next year we added in some soil amendments and boy did we get a larger crop yield.
Over & Under watering
Your garden needs just the right amount of water or your plants can easily die. One year we had such a hot, dry season that by afternoon everyday all of our plants looked like they were melting and they needed a good watering to perk back up.
However, overwatering can be a significant issue also - you never want to get your soil so wet that it has puddles or is sopping wet to the look or touch.
Need some help getting your garden crops planned? Check out the Ultimate Gardening Calculators for a system that will auto-calculate for you.
Not Planning Ahead
It's important to have a good garden gameplan so that you know what you want to plant, how much you want to plant and how you are going to use it.
That way you can just execute on your plan instead of getting caught up with details like that while you are trying to keep your crops alive and harvest them.
No Record Keeping
Not keeping records season to season is a big mistake. Knowing how much you planted, when and where you planted and how much you harvested is key to helping you make the right choices for the next season.
Record keeping can also significantly help you in the current season - like knowing exactly when you started seeds, how many of each plant you started and the like.
Over or Under planting
We have been guilty of this many, many times. Let's just say I am an overachiever and commonly bite off more than I can chew. Did we REALLY need 10 zucchini plants for 2 people? Probably not.
Make sure that you know approximately how much each crop will produce and how much of that crop you plan to use over the year. That way you can plant the right amount. Our gardening calculators can help you figure this out automatically.
Not Enough Time
Let's face it, gardening does take time. You need to have both time to plant your seeds, keep up with weeding, watering and pest control.
And, then, when you start getting veggies you need to be able to use or preserve them before they go bad. So, make sure that you have enough time carved out during garden season to get all the chores done.
Planting too Early
It's definitely easy to get super excited and try popping those seeds or seedlings into the ground as soon as possible. This becomes an issue if you haven't seen your last winter frost yet.
Young plants can easily be destroyed if they are just getting started and then temperatures dip down too low.
Planting too late
Unless your are planting fall garden crops or winter garden crops specifically, you need to be sure that you get your seeds started with plenty of time to grow and harvest before the weather gets too cold out. Many crops thrive in warm soil temperatures and won't produce or thrive when the weather starts to cool off.
If you need help getting your garden crops planned right check out The Ultimate Gardening Calculators so that you have just the amount you need, set aside the right amount of space and know exactly when to plant them.
