Growing your own food is fun, healthy and cost-effective. It is the best way to enjoy fresh veggies at an extremely low cost. However, unfortunately, sometimes your crop fails or your plant does not produce a rewarding yield. This is usually due to some gardening mistakes. There are some common mistakes that many gardeners whether they are experienced or beginners fall into. These mistakes can be easily avoided if you are aware of them. Therefore, in this post, we included these mistakes so you can avoid them to have a rewarding high yield.
1. Planting too early
As soon as the spring comes, many gardeners run to plant their gardeners. That is a huge mistake. Sometimes the temperature can be still freezing which will hinder the growth of your plants especially when you are growing veggies.
Vegetables such as tomato, cucumber, melon, eggplant, and pepper love warmth. Whether it is already spring or not, it does not matter. You should start growing these veggies only when the temperature is adequate. An adequate temperature should not go below 55F at night.
2. Crowding plants together
There are some plants that do well when they surrounded by other plants such as spinach, looseleaf lettuce, arugula, and kale. However, most vegetables require space. They don’t like being grown in a crowded space. They need a good air circulation to grow and thrive. Tomatoes, for example, require at least a 2 feet gap in all directions.
Planting veggies too close to each other increases the risk of getting blight or mildew. Therefore, it is best that you keep an adequate space between your vegetables especially when you are growing broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, sweet corn, potatoes, and peppers.
3. Underwatering/overwatering
Too much watering or too little watering is one of the most common vegetable gardening mistakes. Watering is essential but it has to be done correctly. Most vegetables require about an inch of moisture a week. Underwatering and overwatering are both harmful to your plants.
Underwatering causes stifles the growth of your plants. When your plants start to become yellow, it means that they really need watering. Overwatering is not as bad as underwatering. Veggies can handle overwatering as long as the soil drains well. However, for best results, you should avoid both.
4. Darkness
It is vital for your vegetables to have at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. It is true that there are some plants that can do well in a partial shade such as lettuce and spinach but they do better when they are exposed to sunlight. Therefore, if your garden is not sunny, you should grow your veggies in containers to be able to move them around to sunny spots.
5. Not improving the soil quality
When you are growing veggies, a good quality soil is essential for your garden to produce heavily. It is commonly known that vegetables are heavy feeders, Therefore you need to apply fertilizers, add compost and rotted manure, or shredded leaves to improve your soil quality. You should start improving your soil quality as soon as the spring comes.
6. Not removing weeds
Weeds are very harmful to your plants, they absorb nutrients and minerals. Thus, it is crucial that you regularly remove weeds from your garden. Try to remove them while they are still young, mature weeds are hard to remove and they spread fast. Mulching is one of the best ways to eliminate weeds. You should also avoid using chemicals in order not to contaminate your garden, this article will help you.
7. Overplanting
Overplanting is also a common vegetable gardening mistakes. Instead of planting too many veggies, plant fewer veggies to have a better yield. Therefore, make sure you plant veggies that your family likes. This way, you will ensure a heavy yield from your plants. You shouldn’t plant everything that comes to your mind, it is better to be selective.
8. Not feeding your plants properly
Feeding your vegetables is essential. As we mentioned early, vegetables are heavy feeders and you will need to feed them properly in order to enjoy a heavy yield. Whenever you harvest your crop, add some compost. Fertilize your veggies regularly but do not over fertilize them.
9. Not offering support
Many vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans, and melons require support. Thus, you should provide them with an adequate support to prevent them from falling on the ground. It is advisable that use a trellis for them. If you are looking for inspiration, here some amazing trellises that you could choose from.
10. Giving pests a pass
This is also a common vegetable gardening mistake. You should inspect your plants weekly for pests. Once you spot pests, eliminate them immediately. They can spread fast and ruin your entire crop. Thus, you should be very careful when it comes to pests.
These are the most common vegetable gardening mistakes. These mistakes will hinder the productivity of your plants. Avoiding these tips will ensure your a heavy successful crop.