New to gardening? You might be nervous about what you should and shouldn’t do when it comes to your vegetables.
Whether or not you have a green thumb, there are many rules that if followed can help ensure the healthiest veggies ever grow in their garden!
20 Mistakes You Should Never Do in the Vegetable Garden
What are some of the top things that people make mistakes doing in their vegetable gardens?
Let’s find out together! Along with these, I am going to give you great ideas on how to succeed and increase your harvest.
1. Watering Every Day
It’s true that a common vegetable gardening mistake is assuming your garden needs to be watered every single day. This can lead not only for plants to form shallow roots in times of drought, but it also causes them to suffer when overburdened with too much water, so they might rot or fail to produce fruit altogether!
One way to help your garden thrive in dry conditions is by watering it less often. Instead, water one day a week but make sure that you provide enough for the plants’ needs with natural rainfall or an irrigation system – even if this means using timers so as not overdo on-demand watering!
2. Ignoring Shady Spaces
If you have a shady spot in your garden, it’s not too late for produce. Rather than give up on that part of the yard due to an inadequate sun exposure and thin soil–all plants need some shade! Luckily there are plenty of options if you know what kind is right for shade, (or how much) sunlight they can tolerate.
What’s the best way to fill in those bare spots? Vegetables! Kale, broccoli and lettuce all love cooler shade conditions. So, not only will they help you grow more vegetables with ease but also have an excellent impact on your garden as well, by filling up these areas that might otherwise stay untouched.
3. Overfertilizing
Garden vegetables need lots of nutrients in order to grow strong and healthy, but there’s no guarantee that they will absorb those extra goodies.
Plants only take up what they need; fertilizers are slow-working (unless you use quick release), so don’t blindly follow any advice given about adding more fertilizer without checking with your local garden center first!
Soil testing is the only way to be positive that your garden needs fertilizer. Once you decide what it will take for optimum growth, consider using some organic options like manure or compost in addition to mineral supplements such as lime and magnesium sulfate.
4. Using Synthetic Fertilizer
Not all fertilizers are created equal. You should avoid using synthetic ones because they contain chemicals that are harmful to plants, and natural composts like those found at your local garden center provide a healthier alternative with more nutrients than chemical-based formulas.
5. Loading Up on Pesticides
Pests can be a real pain in the garden, but there are ways to keep them at bay. One of these methods includes companion planting and natural pesticides such as vinegar or diatomaceous earth; they’re both easy to use with minimal risks for harm against your plants!
6. Planting in Bare Soil
Planting in the wrong soil can be disastrous for your crop. So, what is “amending”? It means taking time to add organic matter before planting so that you have healthy and fertile dirt!
One way of doing this would be adding some compost several months before sowing seeds or bulbs – it will get all those microbes going again (they need them) as well make sure everything has enough nutrients.
7. Planting All Seeds At the Same Depth
Learning to garden is tough, but luckily for you there are many resources available. One of the common mistakes made by newbie vegetable growers can be in planting depth – figuring out how deep your seeds should go based on size!
Seeds small enough get planted much shallower than larger ones, so the best way to avoid this mistake is by taking a good look at your seeds and decide how to plant them.
Planting your seeds too shallow can cause them to dry out before they sprout. Planting too deep risks not getting enough sunlight or water, which will kill the plant outright.
If you are still unsure how to plant it, check the seed package for guidelines.
8. Crowding Your Plants
Planting seeds or transplanting seedlings too close together is a mistake that growers are often tempted to make.
As the space between them decreases, competition for water and nutrients will be intense; if an individual plant doesn’t get enough sun in its life time then it could die before reaching maturity because there won’t be room for all parts of itself to grow properly as nature intended.
Planting your seeds can be a challenge, but don’t give up. Think of the plant as it matures and remember that not all of them will survive or even germinate – just keep trying!
9. Going Big
For new gardeners, it is best to start small. There are many vegetables that can be grown in a small space such as the beginner’s plugin allotment and cucumber plants for example. A lot goes into growing just one of these crops which means you will have more time with each plant instead of being overwhelmed by endless chores like weeding or watering!
Don’t feel overwhelmed when it comes to planting. A little bit goes a long way, so start out small and choose plants that are easy for beginners like lettuce or tomatoes!
As you gain more experience with gardening in general try your hand at broccoli or kohlrabi–just make sure not too many vegetables can fit into one container because they might compete with each other.
10. Planting Too Early or Too Late
It is crucial to know the best time of year for planting certain types of vegetation. Too early and your plants might not have enough sun, making them spindly or ill-defined; too late means they won’t get a good amount before cold weather sets in again!
It’s important to wait until the weather warms up before planting fragile crops such as cucumbers, melons and tomatoes.
If you live where temperatures could still drop below freezing avoid setting out these fruits or vegetables in areas that are prone for cold overnight lows of less than 45 degrees Fahrenheit (or 7 Celsius). Without protection, they will likely be destroyed by frost during wintertime!
11. Ignoring Weeds
Unfortunately, weeds are everywhere and they can quickly turn your garden into a jungle. Weeds compete with crops for nutrients as well moisture in the soil which is why it’s important not only to control them but also get rid of any unwanted seeds before planting anything new!
You might assume that allowing one weed to remain where it is and then setting seed isn’t the end of your world, but you will find yourself combating this problem for years.
That’s why it is crucial to eliminate weeds as soon as you spot them.
Mulch is your best friend when it comes to fighting weeds. Rather than using chemical herbicides, use a sharp spade or shovel and dig up those pesky roots!
12. Failing to Provide Adequate Support
Growing tomatoes and pole beans on a trellis is important if you want healthy crops that won’t fall over. If these plants become too large, then they may topple due to not being staked or supported correctly so make sure your top-heavy veggies get the best support possible!
The right kind of soil, water and sunlight is important for healthy plants. Make sure to give your vegetables all they need in a vegetable garden so that air can circulate around them too!
13. Composting the Wrong Things
Compost is a great way to increase the organic matter in your garden and improve its productivity. However, adding ingredients other than those specifically recommended can harm it!
Avoid adding these: Pet waste, meat scraps and bones, grease oil, diseased plants, weeds with their seeds, any wood that has been treated, any chemical treatment such as pesticides or herbicides, Aerosols batteries ,and other toxic chemicals. To keep your garden healthy avoid using them in the first place!
14. Thinking You Can Grow Any Old Plants
You might think you’re a gardening expert, but it’s important to consider your climate zone when planting a vegetable garden. Too many people start with the intention of growing food in their own backyard only to find them plants dead later on, because they live in a too hot or too cold area.
When planning your garden, it’s not just the USDA growing zone that you need to consider. You also need take into account micro climates which are affected by things like wind shade and topography.
15. Planting the Wrong Cultivars
When you’re growing your very own garden, make sure the plants are suited to their surroundings. A tomato is not just any old vegetable and each cultivar needs specific soil conditions or watering habits in order grow properly- so take time before planting out an entire crop of tomatoes with vague intentions like “gotta have them on hand!”
16. Endless Digging and Tilling
Did you know that some of the healthiest, most productive gardens have been grown in soil that was never tilled? It may sound crazy but it’s true. Over-tilling your garden can do a lot more harm than good for both plant life and compacted dirt over time!
Mulching and sheet composting have been proven to be more sustainable than conventional tillage. The benefits of this system for both you, as well your soil are endless!
17. Spending a Fortune
You don’t need a large budget to grow vegetables; you just have to be creative. Rather than spending thousands on your garden, look for free materials like soil and seeds that are available in most places! Start small so as not get overwhelmed with the cost later.
Seed starting kits are a great way to get started with gardening on the cheap. In just one of these, you can craft an entire garden that thrives!
18. Not Thinning Seedlings
Carrots and lettuce plants are delicate, so you may have to remove some of the seedlings that emerge. This will enable stronger ones in order for them get enough space without crowding each other too much with their roots exposed.
19. Leaving the Soil Bare
When it comes to your garden, the soil is king. Leave them bare and you run a high risk of losing important nutrients that can help make up for what was lost from forgetting about watering or other negligence; plant covers like clover or legumes as well as organic mulches in order not only protect the soil but also enrich it with all those precious vitamins.
20. Walking Anywhere You Want
The most common mistake that people make when gardening is not planning where they walk in their garden. You need to factor in walkways and other spaces so you don’t compact the soil as much, which will help keep its nutrients available for plants longer!