ESCAPE THE MISTAKES!

Experience is the best teacher when it comes to gardening. Most people have learned the best gardening practices “the hard way”. It takes time to find out what works and what doesn’t. Avoiding mistakes will help keep your motivation high, especially if you are new to gardening.

Here are common mistakes people make when starting a vegetable garden and some solutions.

1. STARTING BIG

2. PLANTING IN SHADE

Location is critical when starting your garden. As you may know, a majority of vegetables need at least six hours of uninterrupted sunlight to blossom. Certain plants can handle some shade, such as peas, and salad greens, but they still need plenty of sunlight to completely mature. Plants grown in the shade won’t be as flavorful or produce as much compared to those with direct sun. Droopy or faded leaves are a good sign that your plants are unhealthy and need more sunlight.

You may want to consider container gardening if you lack sunny areas. This will allow you to move the plants around and take advantage of the light you do have. Another solution is to track the sunlight for about a week before you start planting. This will give you an idea of the areas that are getting too much shade. If you have a busy schedule or simply aren’t home, then you might want to invest in a Sun Calculator. Gardeners use sun calculators to measure the amount of collected sunlight falling on a specific location in the yard. It allows you to match the actual light conditions measured by the meter with the light requirements on the plant’s nursery tag (full sun, partial sun, partial shade, or shade). This will help you place your plants in light conditions where they will grow best and show why certain plants are not blossoming. On a day you expect full sunlight, place the tool where you want to start planting and leave it there for 12 hours. It will establish the amount of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and the results will follow the light requirements on the plant’s nursery tag. Measuring areas of sun and shade also help you determine zones of different watering needs in your garden. These tools are fairly inexpensive and can be found in stores or online, below is a link to purchase your own.

3. PLANTING TOO EARLY

These vegetables need protection from cold weather until the low temperatures are about 55 F or higher. It’s suggested to keep your seedling covered or inside until the danger of frost is over. Once planted use a grow cloth or a cut plastic bottle for protection, around the plants, and remove them when the temperatures increase. Both of these will help keep your plants warm during the cold temperatures. Grow bags are cheap and are made of the same breathable fabric as grow cloths, you can learn more and get your own here.

Avoid planting out of season; it will only cause frustration. The majority of vegetables require warmer temperatures to grow. They won’t germinate in cold soil. Planting in cold soil will prevent root development and can stunt the plant growth. Summer vegetables such as green beans, eggplant and zucchini require temperatures of 55 to 65 degrees to grow. Make a note before you plant, of what will grow in your area during that current season.

4. CROWDING

Salad vegetables such as kale, lettuce, celery and peppers can grow close together with about 12”- 18” of space between each plant. There should 18”- 24” spacing between each row. Certain vegetables thrive when they have more space to breathe and develop. Tomatoes, tomatillos, zucchini and winter squash need more space between planting, and keep in mind that these plants produce a lot and quickly. These vegetables need room for proper air circulation to survive. Lack of air circulation puts your plants at risk for mildew or blight. When you crowd your plants, the roots have to compete for water and nutrients; this threatens their health.

Another common mistake to be cautious of is allowing your plants to become root-bound because of limited space. This often happens with vegetables planted in containers or pots. The solution is to check if your plants need to get transferred to a bigger space. An easy way to tell if your plant should get transferred is if the water isn’t absorbing into the soil. This happens because the small space is compacted by the roots and there is no room for the excess water to drain, which can lead to mold growth and root diseases.

5. UNDER/OVERWATERING

Overwatering:
Vegetables that are receiving too much water can survive if the soil drains off the excess water. If there is a buildup of extra water, it can kill the plants. Similar to underwatered plants; plants that suffer from too much water will show signs of discolored yellow leaves, and stunted growth. Other indicators are, splits in the vegetables and root rot. The solution to your over watering problem is to add a layer of mulch around your plants or use organic matter. This will help keep the moisture of your soil consistent.

Checking the Soil:

The easiest way to decide if your garden needs water is to check the soil. Plants like moist soil; check if the soil is moist below the surface around ½ an inch deep. Soil can form a dry crust, so scrape that layer and look if your soil is still moist underneath. If it’s moist, then you don’t need to add water yet, but if it’s dry, then add water. Another way to test the moisture of your soil, is to push your finger about two knuckles deep in the soil. This will give you a more thorough check of the of the soil’s moistness. If it feels dry, then it would be a great idea to add some water. If the soil is still moist wait, check again in a few days.

Although it’s easier to water plants from above, it’s less efficient. It can cause blight problems and leave spots when the water lands. When watering start at the soil level and not above. Attach a soaker nozzle on your garden hose and place on top of the soil; this will allow the water to soak into the roots giving your vegetables ideal growth.

6. TOO MUCH FERTILIZER

Many new gardeners think that the more fertilizer they use, the more successful their harvests will be. That is the wrong approach when it comes to growing vegetables. When you apply more fertilizer than recommended, it’s essentially killing your plants. You are making them more susceptible to disease, burning them, and stunting their growth. Only soil that is nutrient deficient should receive the suggested ratios of fertilizer. Plants consume only the nutrients they need. Extreme amounts of fertilizer will cause the nitrogen and salt levels in the soil to increase, resulting in damage to the plant’s roots. Remember you are growing vegetables to eat! Overloading with fertilizer can create a higher than normal level of nitrogen to the plants which, in turn, may produce vegetables that have a harmful effect on human health.

A great way to tackle this issue is to purchase the correct fertilizer for the type of plants you are growing and carefully follow the instructions on the label. Organic fertilizers are a great alternative: they are easy to make, keep chemicals out of the yard, and can even increase your yield.

CONCLUSION

Starting a vegetable garden is a rewarding accomplishment. But with every new project you start, mistakes will be made. Knowing these common mistakes will save you time and keep you driven.