20 Common Vegetable Gardening Mistakes

 

 

Vegetable gardening may appear to be simple, yet there are various things that can go awry. This article will investigate regular vegetable gardening mix-ups and how to keep away from them to set aside you cash and time.

We may not be able to control everything in nature, but we can have some influence over things like watering, soil, and fertilizer.

There are some common mistakes that people make when gardening, whether they are new to it or have been doing it for years. It can be helpful to understand what these are. Here are some of the most common issues:

1. Choosing the wrong plants

Common mistakes people make when planting vegetables is choosing plants based on personal preference instead of what is suited to the climate.

The veggies you like to buy at the grocery store may not do well in your garden because they were likely imported from a different climate. Make sure to do some research before planting to find out what kind of conditions your plants will need to thrive.

Don’t choose plants that won’t excel in your region – it’s a losing battle. Instead, go for plants that do well in your climate and will save you a lot of trouble.

2. Planting too early

Most gardeners are excited to start gardening again by the time spring arrives. However, if you live in an area with temperatures that can still drop below freezing, you should avoid planting tender crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, eggplants, and peppers. These vegetables should stay under cover until the temperature at night remains at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit. If you want to give them a little head start, you can plant them under a grow cloth, cloche, milk jug, or other type of protection.

3. Crowding plants together

Some salad crops, such as spinach, looseleaf lettuce, arugula, and kale, can grow close together. However, most vegetables do best when they’re not packed together too tightly. Tomatoes, for example, require good air circulation to remain healthy, so be sure to space them at least 2-3 feet apart. If planted too closely, your plants could have problems such as blight or mildew. Other vegetables that need more space include broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, sweet corn, potatoes, and peppers.

4. Forgetting to weed

Weeds can quickly become a problem if they are left unchecked. They can attract harmful pests and diseases, compete with your crops for resources, and potentially overtake your more delicate plants.

You can avoid making one of the most common vegetable gardening mistakes by pulling your weeds, putting down mulch, and following tips for keeping weeds under control.

5. Not preparing the soil

We all know the feeling of wanting to get our plants in the ground as soon as possible. So we dig a hole in the soil and put the plant in it. But most of us don’t have perfect soil.

We need to do things like adding compost to the soil before planting. Some of us also need to add sand or other amendments to adjust pH and the nutrient balance.

6. Watering too much or too little

It is essential to water crops consistently for good harvests. Most crops need about an inch of moisture per week. You can monitor rainfall with a rain gauge and use a drip irrigation system or soaker hose to make up for any deficit during dry spells. Plants that are deprived of water will show wilting, yellow leaves, and stunted or deformed fruit. Vegetables that receive too much water will generally be fine as long as your soil drains well, although melons and tomatoes may crack if watering is inconsistent. If excess water puddles in your garden, your crops will suffer and the leaves will turn yellow. The only way to fix this is to improve your soil by working in several inches of organic matter. A layer of mulch applied around your crops will also help keep soil moisture consistent.

7. Sitting in the dark

Vegetables and herbs will grow best if they get six hours of direct sunlight every day. Crops like lettuce and spinach can grow in partial shade, but they won’t do as well as they would in direct sunlight. If you don’t have a spot in your yard that gets a lot of sun, try gardening in containers that you can move around. That way you can put them in the sunniest spot when you need to. Vegetables that grow in shady conditions usually don’t produce fruit, or if they do, the crop will be small and not as flavorful.

8. Not feeding your pants

If you don’t give plants the nutrients they need beyond what is in the soil, they will have a tough time, be more susceptible to diseases and pests, and won’t give you a good harvest.

Fertilizing requires a delicate balance, which is why it is one of the most common mistakes made in vegetable gardening.

9. Forgetting microclimate details

You need to take the microclimate into account when deciding where to put your crops. This includes the wind and sun exposure as well as the topography.

When choosing a location to grow your vegetables, it is important to take into account how much sunlight and shade the area gets at different times of the year.

A south-facing slope is ideal for grapevines because it gets the most sun. A location at the bottom of a hill might be susceptible to late spring frost, while the area next to your home might get too much shade in the summer when the trees fill in. A south-facing slope is ideal for grapevines because it gets the most sun.

10. Ignoring your options

Would you like to have your own personal supply of tomatoes and carrots? If you answered yes, have you considered which variety you would prefer? There are many different cultivars, hybrids, varieties, and forms of the vegetables we are familiar with.

Newbie gardeners tend to overlook varieties when purchasing seeds.

You should always research the crop you’d like to plant, taking into consideration climate and your own needs, and pick a cultivar that suits you.

For example, a half-high blueberry bush could thrive in a USDA Growing Zone 3 yard, but a southern highbush would not survive the first winter. The Brussels sprout variety known as ‘Tasty Nugget’ does well in warmer climates, whereas the ‘Diablo’ variety is best kept in cooler climates.

11. Buying too many seeds

It’s a good idea to figure out how much space you have for a vegetable garden before you buy seeds. That way, you won’t be disappointed if you can’t plant them all.

If you want your seeds to stay viable for years to come, seeds that you don’t plant should be stored in a cool, dry place.

Managing the size of your garden with the number of seeds is to look at how many vegetables you’re already consuming weekly. That way, you’ll be able to estimate how many vegetables you’ll require when growing.

12. Overplanting

If you’re not careful, it’s easy to get carried away when growing vegetables and herbs. The idea of having fresh, delicious produce can tempt you to plant crops your family doesn’t really like. For example, if your kids won’t eat green beans, use that space in your garden to grow veggies everyone can enjoy. You don’t need to grow everything you find in the seed catalog – only the vegetables that you need. And, more importantly, you don’t need to grow 20 tomato plants when two or three will do the job. Plus, having so many vegetables growing at once takes time and energy and could lead you to slack off on weeding, watering, and other chores.

13. Starving your crops

Feeding your vegetables properly is essential to getting a good harvest. You should add compost to your soil regularly, and you can also use slow-release granular fertilizers. Be careful not to use too much nitrogen, or you will end up with more leaves than fruit.

14. Offering not enough support

Vegetables that are typically grown on the ground, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans, and melons, do best when they have something to grow on or around that keeps their fruit from touching the ground. Tomatoes, for example, grow well in sturdy cages designed just for them, and melons and cucumbers can be trained to sprawl over a mesh tunnel or trellis. Pole beans prefer to twine their way up a trellis, tepee, or other vertical support. The supports help keep these crops healthier by providing better air circulation and the fruits stay healthier and cleaner held high above the surface of the soil.

15. Giving pests a pass

Inspect your crops at least once a week to prevent insect pests. Look at the upper and lower surface of the leaves and remove any pests you see. They can destroy an entire crop if they are not removed immediately. Most insects only attack one kind of crop, so if you don’t see any damage on one crop, check other nearby crops. Most pests can be removed by hand, but if there are too many, use a biological control agent that is safe to spray on food crops.

16. No companion plants

Planting certain vegetables next to each other can be helpful in avoiding pests and diseases. However, many people fail to utilize this method.

This type of planting is known as polyculture or companion planting, and it involves placing two or more crops near each other to improve plant health. This can help with increased yields, preserving soil fertility, attracting wildlife, and controlling pests.

The three sisters method is a way of planting beans, squash, and corn together. The beans climb the corn and the squash spreads along the ground, providing support and shade for the roots. This method is said to be the most efficient way of planting these vegetables.

17. Not planning ahead

This is another common vegetable gardening mistake: not planning for your garden year-round. A garden exists all year, whether you’re growing something or not. If you plan carefully, you can maximize your time and keep your garden in good health.

When planning your garden, think about how long each plant takes to grow, what time of year it does best, and what the weather is usually like where you live. For example, you might grow kale in the spring, tomatoes in the summer, and radishes in the fall, all in the same space.

After you till the soil in winter, lay down a layer of dried leaves to help improve the quality of the soil for the following year.

You will have more success if you plan ahead for your crop situation instead of trying to wing it. If you have trouble with planning, get a gardening planner to help you out.

18. Leaving areas of bare soil

It is generally not a good idea to have large areas of your garden with no plants. If there is no plant cover, the soil can be eroded by wind or rain. Also, moisture can evaporate during warmer weather, which can cause your plants to not get enough water.

This doesn’t mean that you have to plant vegetables everywhere. You could instead put down cover crops, or fill the space with some visually appealing native wildflowers. You could also cover the area in mulch and let it lie fallow.

19. Failing to prevent unwanted wildlife friends

You can’t stop all animals from coming into your garden and eating your plants, but you should try to prevent it as much as possible. The last thing you want is to find that a group of deer have eaten all your pumpkins overnight.

Some wildlife, including bees, birds, and earthworms, can be beneficial to your garden by helping to keep your ecosystem healthy and functional.

Make sure to check your crops every day for any problems, and take immediate action if you notice any pests, such as deer, moles, rabbits, or elk. Fences can help deter some pests, but you may need to do more work to keep problem animals away.

20. Watering too often

Watering your vegetables too often can actually be harmful to them. This is because the roots will only grow shallow, making the plant more vulnerable to heat and drought.

The most common mistake people make when gardening with vegetables is watering them too often and too shallowly. Instead, water deeply but less frequently to avoid this issue.