Even if you have really good soil and a lot of sunlight, there are still plenty of beginner gardening mistakes you can make that can keep your garden from turning out the way you had envisioned it would be.
I have fairly sandy soil in my garden and rocks and pebbles all over the place, and a lot more shade than sun, so my poor little garden is already at a bit of a disadvantage, and my first few years I made plenty of beginner gardening mistakes that put my garden at even more of a disadvantage than the lack of sun and soil issues.
Let’s just say it’s a good thing I’m not trying to depend on my garden to be my only source of food! I can only imagine the pressure that farmers and homesteaders must have felt back in the days when the success of their crops would decide whether they would go hungry that winter or not.
I still make plenty of mistakes now, too. When things get busy, I don’t put quite as much time into properly preparing the soil like I know I should. And there usually comes a point in the summer when it’s just so hot and humid that I basically give up on weeding completely.
Over the years, though, I’ve gradually learned how to make my garden a little bit more successful. It’s still pretty small, and it’s definitely not going to win any prizes for being the prettiest or the most neatly organized garden, but it’s a lot better than it used to be!
These four beginner gardening mistakes are all ones that I’ve made, and, if this is your first or second year gardening, hopefully you can avoid making the same mistakes I did and have a better chance at a successful garden!
4 Beginner Gardening Mistakes to Avoid:
1) Planting Too Many Varieties of Veggies
When you’re just starting out with a garden, it’s a good idea to keep it as simple as possible for the first year. It’s tempting to want to try a little of everything, but you’ll have a much better chance of having a successful garden if you focus on just a few varieties for the first year and then add in others the next year.
When I first started ordering heirloom seeds online, I went a little bit overboard that first year. I wanted to try them all, and I ordered far too many of them. It was a lot to try to keep track of them all, and I ended up not having the time to really learn about how each type should be planted and what type of growing conditions they needed, etc.
Now that I’ve had a garden for a few years, I’ve figured out what types of plants do well in my yard and which ones don’t, but if I could go back to the year I first started a garden, I would have been better off just trying a few simple, easy-to-grow varieties like peas and beans and tomatoes.
2) Crowding Plants Too Close Together
This kind of goes along with the first mistake. If you’ve tried to plant too many varieties, you’re probably also trying to squeeze as many seeds or seedlings into your garden space as possible.
My first year gardening, I had visions of a huge harvest, and I packed the seeds and seedlings as closely together as possible, thinking I would have more produce that way. I also didn’t thin out the seedlings properly after the seeds had sprouted because I hated the thought of pulling out perfectly healthy plants.
Instead of a huge, productive harvest, though, I ended with up weak, straggly-looking plants, and I could barely find room to step between them without destroying them (since I had forgotten about planning enough space to walk around them too.)
The moral of the story: less equals more. Fewer plants spaced further apart will end up being healthier and producing more fruit than plants crowded together.
3) Watering Plants Too Often, or at the Wrong Time of Day
I’ve been guilty of this mistake many times. It’s easy to worry so much about whether your plants are getting enough water that you end up giving them too much water by mistake. Some plants do need more water than others, but generally they do better with fewer, more thorough waterings (like they would get if if were raining) than they do with getting a shower from the hose every time you walk by and think they look even a little bit thirsty.
It’s also generally considered best to water in the earlier part of the day rather than in the evening because watering at night could contribute to the growth of fungus, especially for plants that don’t do well in very damp conditions.
4) Planting the Wrong Varieties Next to Each Other
If you feel like you’ve tried everything and you still can’t figure out why your garden isn’t thriving, it might be that you’re planting the wrong varieties next to each other.
Certain types of plants do really well when they are together, helping to keep away insects and pests or by helping to enrich the soil. Others plants, though, may actually inhibit the growth of the plants that they are near.
By using companion planting and planning your garden to keep together the varieties that work well with each other, you have a better chance of having a successful garden.
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And now that you know some of the mistakes to avoid, you can also focus on some of the things you can do to help your garden like I talk about in this post about 4 secrets for a better beginner garden.
What gardening mistakes am I forgetting? I’m sure there are others. If you have a gardening tip or something you learned the hard way, let us know in the comments!
Further Reading for more resources with tips for growing a garden:
From Beginner to Pro – Top Tips and Tricks for an Amazing Garden by Nourishing Liberty
Solutions for Common Problems with Seedlings by Jen and Joey Go Green
20 Perennial Vegetables to Plant Once and Enjoy Forever by Small Footprint Family
How to Check the Viability of Old Seeds by The Homestead Garden
Take note! But you want to do something … maybe a record of what you’ve done in your garden. I plotted mine on my computer. Over the growing season I will take stock of what worked and what I need to change. YOu’ll love your notes next spring
That’s a really great tip (and one that I should do more often!).
Thanks for highligting common mistakes that bigginers are doing. It is really helpfull. Thanks again.
You’re very welcome, and I’m glad to hear that it was helpful! 🙂
Well thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. It will be helpful to avoid mistake while gardening the plants, keep sharing this type of posts.
I’m very glad that the post was helpful to you!
Thant you for sharing these all the important mistakes. Last year I buy an Aloe Vera from BushUp. And few days later I discovered my lovely Aloe Vera plant has died. I found this article and it was very helpful for me. Thanks a lot.
I’m very sorry to hear that your aloe vera plant died! That’s so disappointing 🙁 I’m glad to hear that the article was helpful for you, and you’re very welcome.
I love the rich history of what has worked in gardening and the room for creativity. I tell people that the best thing to do it DO SOMETHING!! It is fun to see what works and what doesn’t. My kids are totally in to trying to grow new things. We focus on the fun creative side of gardening more that all the rules
That’s great advice to just do something! Gardening can definitely be a great way to experiment and try some creative ideas!
Learned a good lesson this year, not to plant big tomato plants with cherry tomato plants the big tomato plant only had medium or small tomatoes so next time I’ll plan to each one in a different place.
That’s interesting! I hadn’t realized that that could have an effect on the size of your big tomatoes. It will be interesting to see how your tomatoes come out this year if you plant them in separate places.
Having a garden is a beautiful thing. For one, you can grow your own fruits and vegetables. Secondly, it’s always nice to have a place to relax after a tiring day. However, it is unwise to begin digging the soil and planting anything without knowing the dos and don’ts.Things might seem to be going well, but both flowers and produce won’t be in their best state without sufficient care
Yes, that’s very true!
Thanks for this. I’m afraid I have made two out of the four mistakes (watering too often and planting too many varieties of vegetables). I am glad for this article and will now adjust. Thanks again.
Making two out of four mistakes is a lot better than making all four of then like I did! 🙂
Great advice on these topics! I am wondering if anyone has any advice on how to get rid of moles.
Moles are tricky ones! I haven’t had to deal with them in my yard personally, but from what I’ve read, they can be very difficult to get rid of. This article I found from the Old Farmer’s Almanac website has some suggestions that might be helpful:http://www.almanac.com/pest/moles
@Cindy,
Growing up on a farm we learned moles do not like vibrations, ad small windmill garden art that move freely, the blades when turning and the movement cause vibrations, causes moles to think it is predators.
I quite see the mistakes I have already made. Am starting my gatdening this year. Thank you for sharing. I have already crowded my seedlings and have not prepared my soil well. Hope to do better next planting season.
Even if your seedlings are crowded and your soil isn’t the best, you still have a good chance of having a good garden this year! Many plants are surprisingly resilient. 🙂
BTW, forgot to specify. Spanking the tomatoes is just merely tapping on the stems as you walk by.
I have been growing tomatoes for a couple of years now with success. When planting the small tomatoe plant, add some Epsom salt (for magnesium) and lime (to prevent bloosom end rot (the black spot on the bottom of the tomatoe). In addition, I have read to add a fish head, but I opt this and add fish emulsion as a fertilizer later down the road, about 3 weeks later. Mix all ingredients well, add just a little more dirt then put the plant in the hole. In a couple of weeks when the roots grow into the segment where you added these items, wha-la a boost of growth! Also, when blooms appear, I go everyday and “spank” the plants. This actually releases the pollen and pollinates the blossom. Since there are not always a lot of bees around to pollinate the plants, this works tremendously for me. Happy growing!
These are great tomato-growing tips! Thank you for sharing with us!
Reading back a bit as far as plants picking up flavors from others. This is where companion planting really helps .Cross pollination is taking place between the different varieties and not planting cucumbers or pumpkins with your melons is good advice, they are all in the family of curcubitaceae and need seperation. Corn is another that will cross very easily if more than one variety is planted next to each other. The comments here from all have been helpful thank you.
Yes, companion planting is very helpful! Thanks for sharing your tips!
water in morning but if circumstances don’t allow I water later in the day . Either way I always water
the soil not the plant itself .Never have leaf burn for flowers or veggies. Am a container gardener.
Yes, that’s a good tip to focus on watering the soil rather than the plant itself!
Hi Lori,
Lovely article with some great info, but I would like to bust a myth I think you are accidentally perpetuating in it. Water droplets do not scorch the leaves of plants. That is a myth. The focal length of the water is too far to make it burn leaves. Don’t believe me though. Here is a link to the puyallup.edu website that talks about it.
https://puyallup.wsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/leaf-scorch.pdf
You should also do some more googling yourself to be sure you get the info from multiple sources.
Hi Sean,
Thank you for posting the link to this article. There’s always something new to learn about gardening, and watering is certainly an important aspect to consider. The old adage is to “never water under midday sun,” although the original reasoning behind that adage may not have even been intended to be because of the scorching of the leaves and that connection may have been perpetuated over time. I have come across mentions of research by Dr. Gabor Horvath at Hungary’s Eotvos University linking leaf scorch to watering plants with small hairs on the leaves (but not plants with smooth leaves,) but then, on the other hand, there are several articles that contradict that, including the one you linked to. For the sake of simplicity, since this is intended to be an article for beginner gardeners, I will update the article to omit the mention of the possibility of leaf scorch and simply state that morning watering is generally considered to be the ideal time of day.
Water evaporates fast in the noon-day sun. So, you mad dogs and Englishmen, stay inside! I’m pretty sure here in CO we have an ordinance against mid-day watering.
Yes, it evaporates very fast at noon-time! And that’s interesting that you have an ordinance against mid-day watering in CO!
On tip number 3 after years of gardening, water only in mornings to mid-afternoon. Not evening because insects love the water left on plants and will be drawn to them. Unless you water the soil and not the plant itself.
Good to know! That’s a great tip, especially for organic gardeners who tend to have an insect problem.
Definitely a very helpful post! My best friend just started her first garden and she’ll be very glad to have your ideas on mind. I’m surely recommending this great information to her. Happy gardening!
I’m really glad it was helpful! I hope you’re friend’s garden turns out well this year!
Tip# 352
Don’t plant tomatoes next to jalapeño peppers! Wonder if that’s where the phrase ‘hot tomatoes’ comes from…?
Good to know! I’ve never tried that before, but I’ll make sure not to in the future, lol 🙂
I don’t understand the science behind this, my mom says this also happens between melons and cucumbers planted next to each other. The tomatoes were great for salsa, but not for the spaghetti sauce I planned to can.
That’s really interesting. I think it’s pretty fascinating that just planting something near another plant can affect its flavor.
But an interesting experiment would be strawberries planted with mint. Yum, mint flavored strawberries!
My strawberries ended up next to my mint and I didn’t get mint flavored strawberries.
Great tips!!! Especially true about starting with best soil possible. I did this a few years back and despite some other bad gardening choices I have made –i.e. mistakes– it’s my well prepared soil that saves me. Also my added tip: place your tomatoe cages over your little sprouts as soon as you see them, and don’t wait until they need the cages. By then it’s too late and you damage the plant bybtryingto fit the wire cage over the 1-1.5 foot tall plants.
Yes, good tip! I’ve made that mistake before, too, and waited too long to try to put the cages up.