It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner in gardening or an expert, making mistakes is one of the common things to do. You might not repeat the old ones, but started the new ones every year. However, the most important thing is to learn from the mistakes and move on. Here are 8 mistakes to not to repeat in your vegetable garden along with an extra tip.
- Do Not Over Fertilize:
Many beginners believe that applying more fertilizer will keep their plants healthy. But, the fact is applying more fertilizer will reduce the yields and cause stunted growth and burning. Fertilizers should not be use in the rations recommended and should only be applied on the soil that is nutrient deficient.
Plant will only utilize the nutrients they need and the excess nutrients will go waste in the soil. Even using excess fertilizer will have greater effect on flowering plants which leads them to have excessive growth of foliage at the expense of flowers and fruits.
- Do Not Use Synthetic Fertilizers:
If you want to produce organic yields, then you should never apply synthetic fertilizers in your garden. They might be cheap, but very harmful to your plants. You can even make your own organic fertilizer by using rotted manure. Using organic fertilizer will increase your yields and make them healthier and safer to consume.
- Do Not Forget To Amend The Soil:
Amending the soil with compost will give you healthier and happier yields. So, amend your soil with plenty of organic matter and compost throughout the seasons and the best part is organic matter will never be excess in the soil. Pile them as much as possible for good gardening growth.
- Do Not Plant Seeds Too Deep Or Too Shallow:
Generally, the size of seedling shows its depth and the larger its seed the deeper it prefers. So, it’s always better to follow the instructions on the seed packets. But, never plant your seeds too deeply, because it will make them not to sprout or they become week being tired when sprouting. On the other side, planting them too shallow will lead them to dry out quickly before they sprout.
- Do Not Plant Too Close:
Planting seedlings too close each other will lead to increase the competition for sunlight, water and nutrients in the soil. However, not every seed planted will germinate and not every seed transplanted will survive. So, you should reduce the spacing slightly and if all the seedlings planted survive thin out the excess plants.
- Do Not Plant In Shady Areas:
Planting Vegetables in shady areas should be avoided. They are handful of veggies like lettuces and peas that do absolutely fine in shady areas, but most of the vegetables need minimum of 6-8 hours of sunlight during a day. Less than that, you will end up with underperforming plants.
- Do Not Overwater The Plants:
This is common mistake made by many gardeners. Too much water can cause the roots to rot, so keep in mind that the soil of plants should be moist but not soggy.
Check the soil with your finger about an inch or two if it is moist, don’t water them. You can even use soil moisture meter to determine the moisture level of the soil before watering it for the next time.
- Do Not Start Too Big:
Starting too big with lot of vegetables will make you feel overwhelmed by the work of weeding, tending the plants, and managing pests and diseases.
If you want to start gardening, plant in a manageable area and begin with easy plants such as greens, lettuces, tomatoes, egg plants and pepper. Once after getting the confidence of managing them, you can expand progressively.
Bonus Tip:
Never step on your seeds, it might sound simple. But, after starting your garden with new plants it can actually easy to accidentally step on a plant behind you.