Garden Mistakes to Avoid! 10 Things I Wish I Would Have Known

Your first year of gardening can be so stressful and you might second guess everything you are doing. The first garden I grew was living at my in-laws ‘ home and they had some old garden beds that they weren’t using. I planted out the three 4X10 raised beds. All the tomatoes were tiny and had blossom end rot, the cilantro went right to seed, and the cucumbers never grew. The only thing that grew well was my parsley! I have learned a lot since that garden and I don’t want you to make the same garden mistakes. Here is a list of all the things I wish I knew that first year of gardening.

1. There is always next year

Gardening is a learning process and that means that every year will have successes and failures, some will be in your control and some will be out of your control. Some things will work one year and be a failure the next, nothing is for sure with the garden! Just take each year as a chance to learn and it will always be a success. 

2. Soil is king

The garden starts with your soil. Save yourself all the guess work and questioning and JUST GET A SOIL TEST! I know it seems overwhelming, but it will take so much of the guess work out of gardening. Nothing grows in poor soil. If you are going to take all the time to garden it is 100% worth doing a soil test. You can also really mess up your soil if you add too much of a nutrient that can take years to undo. 

3. Watering trick

It is so hard to know how much and little to water your garden, but you can always stick your finger in the soil next to the plant. If it feels dry it’s time to water, simple as that! Make your watering as easy as possible. You can do this by setting up a watering system, or at least putting your garden next to a water source. 

4. Start small

Like I said before I started with too big of a garden and nothing grew well. This is such a common garden mistakes. The next year I planted one raised bed and had great success. Everything grew well and I learned so much watching each plant closely. It was so fun and manageable. It also gave me the confidence to keep growing the following year.

5. Fertilize

You will probably not have perfect soil to start with, so using the needed fertilizer can make a big difference in your garden harvest. 

6. Plant plants where they want to grow

 Some plants like the heat, some like a little afternoon shade. I use this to my advantage when planting. I put herbs in part shade, tomatoes and peppers out in the most sun, and beans by the fence line to climb. Everything is placed where they will be most happy.

7. Grow flowers

 In my first two gardens I didn’t grow flowers. In my third garden the flowers were an after thought in poor soil with little harvest, but I couldn’t believe how happy those little cosmo flowers made me. I cherished each bloom, and from then on I have only grown more and more flowers each year. That year I learned that you grow food to heal your body, but you grow flowers to heal your soul. 

8. Talk to your neighbor

You can learn so much online about gardening, but when it comes down to it, your neighbor who has been gardening for years knows your soil, climate, and varieties that do the best. This is your best resource! When I moved to our home I got to know my neighbor who gardened and I learned SO much from him. The best thing for my garden was my neighbor.

9. You don’t have to use raised beds

Maybe it is the online influence that convinced me that I had to have raised beds, but starting a garden can be as simple as pulling out grass/weeds, putting down compost, breaking up the soil, and planting seeds. Don’t over complicate it!

10. Seeds need to be babied and well watered

 Seeds are babies, they take so much attention in the beginning. You have to make sure to keep them watered and the soil damp until they come up. I think it is worth it to start some seeds in a small container inside just to practice growing some seeds before you put them in the soil outside. Practice makes perfect!

Last Thoughts for Garden Mistakes

That’s it! Everything I wish I could tell myself that first year of gardening, and the garden mistakes I could have avoided. Good luck gardening this year, and I hope your harvest is abundant, and your garden enjoyment is full. If you are growing your first garden this year, you might like this garden layout for your first cut flower garden HERE (it’s free :))

As always,

Grow flowers to heal your soul

Beth