Friday 3 January 2014

Top 5 garden mistakes

As I am using the winter to prepare for the next growing season I have been reflecting on the errors I made over the last couple of years and want to avoid this year. These are what I think are my top five mistakes (only four of which I made). In other news I have put my name on a waiting list for an allotment. It will be a very long wait, no doubt.


  1. Over exuberance (Planting too early) - I am almost doing this again and it comes from a keenness to get started. Last year I started planing my seeds so early that they were chomping at the bit to get outside and in danger of becoming leggy or dying because of the cold Spring we had here. Of course this is because looking out on the grey wintry garden we are all looking forward to Spring coming and sowing seeds makes us believe it is that one step nearer. If you live in a colder part of the country (like I do) I have decided it is worth waiting for the second month option mentioned on the back of the seed packet (rather than the first day of the first month :-)).
  2. Growing too much - Beginning a garden is a bit like going to an all you can eat buffet (when you are greedy like me), you want to grow everything, regardless of how much room you have. Last year I wanted to grow some lobelia and it came in a packet of 1500 seeds and, yes, I planted the lot! I have since learned (hopefully) that you don't actually have to plant all the seeds in a packet in one go. Good quality seeds have a really good germination rate so it is worth planting what you need with just a few spare. Also be realistic about what you can fit in your garden. I grew so many varieties last year that lots of plants ended up in the compost which is a shame and I was overwhelmed with volume and didn't manage to look after a lot of them properly.
  3. Only grow what you want to eat - Starting a veg garden it is easy to get carried away with the idea of growing a whole section of something unusual but ask yourself if you will eat it all. It sounds obvious but often we end up growing things because we can rather than because we like it. Choose your veg based on whether you eat it regulary, if you really love it and if it is expensive to buy in the shops. Then cut it down to how many you have space for and time to look after. If space is no object then by all means try something new and interesting but most of us don't have this luxury.
  4. Improve your soil - I have spoken to people near where I live who have said 'oh the soil is terrible around here, nothing will grow'. Well I think I have proved them wrong, but I have spent a lot of time and (yes) money on the soil to improve it's condition. You can't just chuck seeds in some dirt and expect them to grow well. They may grow but the majority will be poor specimens. The comparison would be you living on a diet of only chocolate and crisps. You wouldn't die (well you would in time) but you would hardly be healthy. Plants need good nutrition themselves to perform to their best. Once I have dug out a new bed I add lots of garden compost to it and well rotted manure. And I don't just do it once. Every year I have added new compost and/or manure to the existing beds too. I have used mulch to lay on the surface too. This year I have my first load of home made garden compost too which will all go back in the ground. The results have been terrific.
  5. Poor spacing - This is something I am still learning with seedlings. So often when a seedling is being transferred to the garden we look at how tiny it is and how vast the space it is being placed is and thing it can go too close to the next one, without thinking about how big it becomes. I love beds that are absolutely full to busting, but not at the expense of the plant. The spacing guide on the back of the seed packet is there to help, not as a sort of party-pooper. I am very guilty of this and I promise to be better this year, honest.

Well I hope these are useful to any would be or novice gardeners. I still have loads and loads to learn, after all, I have only been at this 2 years, many people with a life time of experience will still say they are learning. That is the joy of gardening.

22 comments:

  1. Sounds good to me - I am still at the armchair stage of deciding what seeds we need to buy and how many!

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    1. Oh i love the 'staring at the seed catalogue' time of year.

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  2. Mistakes that we all make when we first start growing.

    Whatever glut I have whether it be of plants or fruit and veggies, I now take to car boot sales and sell off, if you think of the price of a packet of seeds and what you can get for say a tomato plant or a tray of flower seedlings there is a definite profit to be made and if you pad your stall out with a few books a few CDs and Dvds etc you attract all sorts of buyers and it can be a good de-cluttering exercise (as well as money making) venture.

    All the best for the coming year ... gardening and otherwise :-)

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    1. I did wonder about carboot sales actually. I thought I might try it if end up with a glut of good seedlings.

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  3. Well, at least you have identified your weaknesses, so you might not make the same mistakes again. Mind you, there will always be another mistake to grapple with for the next year. That`s why gardening will keep your attention for much longer than any other activity. It`s a constant challenge to alter and improve things. Good luck with your new gardening ideas for this year.

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    1. Yes, that is why I love gardening so much, There is always something to learn.

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  4. Planting things too closely has always been one of my great faults and I never seem to learn! The great thing about gardening is that there's always a new year to correct old errors and learn new lessons:)

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  5. Well, you learn faster than I do, it took me many years to get used to improving the soil. I have done it regularly in autumn only for 2 years (but have been gardening for 6 or 7). It is a never ending venture and one never stops to learn :)

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  6. I think you have identified problems all gardeners are prone to unless they are particularly disciplined. I have been gardening for many years but it is still requires an effort not to plant things early and not to crowd them too much.
    Happy gardening in 2014.

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    1. Just learning to be patient through January and February. Then the fun can begin.

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  7. I used to top dress my soil (in the raised beds) in autumn but now do it in Spring. I can no longer cover the beds up to keep out the worst of the wet and find Spring much better. Also, my home grown compost is so slow it takes until Spring before I can sieve and use it.

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    1. With the rain I am getting now new compost would probably have all it's goodness washed away if I did it now!

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  8. I usually sub contract my seed sowing and seedling nurturing to my mother. She can't resist sowing everything I give her and as she has a large utility room and green house it works great for us both. I buy some tiny geranium plugs and do all veggies myself. Last year I sold off my surplus at work but as I'm not working anymore I'm going to try a couple of car boots. My unsold stuff was dropped off at some local warden controlled homes on a homeward whim. I will definately do this again. Plant spacing is a challenge for me as I too like a plentiful look. However this year I am continuing to propagate perennials and reduce annuals although I can't resist cosmos and nicotiana Sylvestis. I've fallen in love with modern naturistic perennial planting such as Piet Oudolf and Tom Stuart-Smith. If I can find the courage I'm thinking of a major revamp. My generous chicken run is going to be reduced and raised beds built for veggies. I particularly like the way gardening crosses all generations, if you have a local hort or gardening group I'd urge you to take a look. Local open gardens are also good to see what grows well in your area and make new friends.

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    1. Cosmos is a particularly splendid plant isn't it, providing lovely blooms for months and months. I have some and want more!

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  9. I'm rubbish at gardening which is a shame as I've got a large garden.
    I've got 2 chickens that lay eggs regularly and a small polytunnel. I've got fruit trees that I planted 4 years ago that have never had fruit on them. When I planted some potatoes they came out the same size as they were when they went in and so did the onions.
    I really need to spend some time looking at what's going on out there.
    It seems crazy for me to plant spuds in tubs when I've got a big garden just sitting there.
    I love looking through the seed catalogues too. Better than the telly.

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    1. Maybe your garden could do with a nice dressing of new compost and manure to kick start it?

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  10. Hi, I read your blog regularly but don't think I've commented before (crappy memory.... sorry) I have 6 x 2msq veg gardens. They were brilliant all through the summer here last year and right through the winter. But this year I just can't seem to get a handle on anything gardeny. I have had a lot of changes myself with jobs etc and have been a bit jaded by it all. I planted my corn and tomatoes and the asparagus came up ..... and went I ate about 12 spears. It's only the second year so I'm not so bothered about that but my tomatoes are like triffids! they got completely away on me and I'm having a hard time bringing them to heel! I really need to give time to quality and not quantity! One very well tended tomato plant and not 6 scraggly, can't find the tomatoes covered in white fly ones. Anyway that's the bane of my life. Hope this year brings everything that you want.

    Jo in Auckland, NZ

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    1. The beauty with gardening is that it is forgiving, there is always next year!

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