With spring just around the corner, we can all start thinking about what we want to grow over the next few months and how we want to bring our gardens back to life.
Whether you’re a novice or have grown your own for years, there are always lessons to be learned – but to get you started, here are some of the more common gardening mistakes you might want to steer clear of this year.
Sowing all your seeds at once
If you sow all your seeds in one fell swoop, you probably won’t be able to get through all your produce before it starts to bolt. Succession sowing means you sow your seeds little by little every few weeks so that the plants mature at different rates.
Not researching your soil
There are lots of different types of soil and they all have different acidity levels, categorised as either acidic, neutral or alkaline.
Soil consistency should also be assessed to see whether you’re working with peat, sand, silt, loam, chalk or clay. Once you’re armed with the relevant information, you’ll be able to make better decisions about which plants will grow best in the soil you have.
Not using mulch
Mulching is the use of organic material on top of the surface of the soil, helping it to retain moisture, reduce the amount of watering required, suppress weeds, provide nutrients, deter pests and protect plant roots from extremes of temperature.
Biodegradable mulch can be anything from garden compost and wood chippings to leaf mould, processed conifer bark, straw – and seaweed!
Improper watering
Watering at the wrong time of day can actually hurt your plants, especially during summer! Watering when it’s hot and sunny, they can scorch their leaves with the water droplets serving as magnifying glasses.
It’s also a less eco-friendly way of watering, as lots of water will evaporate in the heat of the day – so water either first thing in the morning or last thing at night to protect leaves and retain moisture.
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