Stop Killing Your Plants: 15 Mistakes Every Gardener Must Avoid

Just picked up gardening and don’t know what you’re doing wrong? Don’t worry; plenty of beginner gardening enthusiasts experience the same frustration and setbacks. But if you’d like to take your gardening skills to the next level and don’t want your garden to die quickly, you might need to take some precautions. Here are common gardening mistakes that lead to plant rot.

Overwatering Your Plants

While plants need a significant amount of water to grow, too much can kill them. In fact, overwatering is one of the most common causes of plant death. Excess water drowns roots so they can no longer access oxygen, leading to root rot. The best way to know when to water is if the soil is at least an inch dry from the top.

Planting Too Deep

Plant roots need a lot of underground space to thrive. If they’re buried too deep, not only will they have little to no space to grow, but they’ll also be unreachable for oxygen, leading to plant rot and growth. It’s best to consult with experienced neighbors or gardeners to ensure you’re planting at the right depth.

Using Too Much Fertilizer

The excess of everything is bad, even if it’s something as helpful as fertilizers. While most fertilizers (industrial or homemade) boost plant growth, their high mineral and nutrient content can overstimulate plants, leading to burned roots, discoloration, and poor growth. Never fertilize more than the recommended quantity for any plant.

Skipping Pest Control

If you ignore pest control, your plants can suffer fast. Little critters like aphids, slugs, and caterpillars can munch through leaves, stems, and roots. Regularly check for any pest signs and handle them quickly to keep your garden healthy. Just a bit of attention can prevent big problems later on.

Ignoring Weather Conditions

Not paying attention to the weather can harm or even kill the plants you’ve worked hard on. Leaving delicate plants out during a frost or heatwave can be rough on them. Keep an eye on the forecast, and adjust things like watering or shading when needed to help your garden stay strong and healthy.

Not Rotating Plants

Every plant takes up a considerable amount of nutrients from the soil. While that’s exactly what we want to achieve, if you keep repotting or planting the same plant in the same spot, it’ll deplete the soil of those specific nutrients, making it close to barren. Keep rotating crops and plants to ensure equal distribution of nutrients and soil health.

Overcrowding Pots

All kinds of plants need space to grow. If you’re potting different plants too close to each other, they’ll only get in each other’s way. Plants are also highly competitive, so they’ll begin to actively battle for nutrients, leading to only one growing or neither from the unequal distribution of nutrients.

Using The Wrong Containers

Not many people know that the type of container used to pot plants can affect their growth. Containers that are too tall collect water, so your plants might risk drowning. Containers without drainage holes will cause the same problems. Using small containers for plants that need space can lead to overcrowding. It’s best to double-check your containers before planting.

Forgetting To Mulch

Never skip mulch day. Mulch protects plants from the environment, suppressing weeds and helping soil retain moisture. Sometimes, mulch can even protect against pests. Forgetting mulch can contribute to plant death or rot because they become more vulnerable to droughts and weeds. Set an alarm for mulch to ensure you don’t miss it.

Using Too Much Shade

Some plants like lungworts, coral bells, foamflower, and begonia need low sunlight to thrive. In most cases, people begin storing them under the shade because they think it’ll do the work. While some plants might live, they’ll be weak and prone to diseases. Plants that spend too much time in the shade often don’t flower.

Neglecting Soil pH Levels

One of the main reasons you must rotate crops and measure fertilizer and mulch is that soil has a specific pH level that might not suit your plants. Every plant requires a different pH level, so getting a pH testing kit is best to ensure you’re not planting in a relatively hostile section of your garden.

Using Dirty Tools

You might find this silly, but using dirty tools can affect your garden’s health and appearance. Think of it this way: We sterilize surgical tools to prevent infections and diseases, so plants need clean, sterile tools to prevent the same. Dirty garden tools spread diseases between plants, so always wipe and rinse after you use them.

Ignoring Plant Spacing Requirements

Some plants thrive in closed spaces, while others do better when they have enough space to spread out. Never plant multiple plants together without ensuring how far their roots will go; it’ll only lead to competition and overcrowding. Check with an experienced gardener to determine what plant should be placed where.

Neglecting to Prune

Pruning might feel like something you can skip, but it’s actually super important for keeping your plants healthy and looking great. When you leave dead or overgrown branches, they steal energy from new growth. Regularly trimming your plants improves airflow, helps prevent diseases, and encourages stronger, healthier growth.

Watering At The Wrong Time

Lastly, you’d be surprised to learn how much time of the day influences plants’ absorption of nutrients, oxygen, and water. Many people water during the hottest time of the day because they think it’ll freshen up the plants, but the heat only causes evaporation, so your garden loses more water than it took in. It’s best to water in the evening.

More For You

Friends not only make us happy and reduce our stress, but they’re also great to have around for gardening! They can help plant, share tips, and make it more fun. Gardening together becomes a relaxing and enjoyable way to grow plants and friendships.

This article was first published at Rbitaliablog.