If you’re thinking of getting your green fingers out and planting some gorgeous blooms in your garden it’s essential that you do your research first. No one wants to spend money on plants that you don’t know how to look after – because, well, they eventually die.
We all kill our plants from time to time due to misjudgment or a busy schedule meaning and as a gardener, this can be difficult to come to terms with. To help you we have listed the five most common mistakes gardeners make that lead to plants dying – and how to fix them.
1. Planting in an unsuitable location
Planting your flowers in an unsuitable location is so common that it has made its way to number one on our list. You should read what the plant needs before you get digging as you may find that some plants require shade and some direct sunlight.
The same goes for moisture levels – if your plant requires a great deal of moisture then try to keep it in a shaded area otherwise all moisture in the soil will dry up.
2. Overwatering
For some reason, all gardeners think that the more water you give your plant, the more it will grow. Sometimes, all you’re actually doing is drowning your plant.
The best way to water your plants is infrequently but deeply, so ensure you get to the roots.
If you do your research you will also find out whether your plant requires a large amount of water or just a little. Some plants only like to be watered once a week, whereas others will need refreshing more regularly.
You should also remember that all plants will require a larger amount of water during the summer months when the soil is more likely to dry out.
3. Over-fertilizing
Just like with the watering process, more is not always better. Be sure to find out the nutrient needs of your plants and correspond this with what your chosen fertilizer has to offer. You should also note that overuse of synthetic fertilizers is particularly dangerous to all plants so be careful with this!
The best way to ensure you are doing the right thing by your plants is to simply read the instructions on your fertilizer and follow them to the letter as this will be the best method and the way in which the fertilizer is designed to be used.
4. Poor spacing
When you purchase a new plant you should research how large it will grow and ensure you leave enough space around it for it to thrive as it should do. By planting your blooms too close together the roots will get damaged causing the plant to eventually die. You will also find that it will affect other plants just as badly, so, do some research and keep things spread out.
5. The wrong time of year
Whilst you may be dying to get your green fingers out in January, for some plants this may be the wrong time of year, so it’s important that you plant at the right time to ensure it survives as long as possible.
If you have Spring bulbs, they should be planted around November/December time in order to really look beautiful during the Spring months. However, each plant will say on its packaging when they should be planted and when you can expect to see their blooms.
Avoiding mistakes
Whilst these five common mistakes are nothing that can’t be fixed it’s also worth noting that you should keep an eye out for any bugs or insects. During the summer months, you’re guaranteed to find a snail or slug eating your beautiful blooms and ruining your flower display, so it’s vital that you nip it in the bud immediately.
You can get slug pellets which are the ideal solution when placed around your beloved plants however, that is the only precaution that you need to take as bees and spiders are absolutely no harm to your plants, in fact, they help them thrive! If you have pets such as dogs and cats then slug pellets can pose a serious health risk to them so you’ll need to look for alternative solutions.
Another quick tip: never confuse compost with manure, they are completely different things and trust us, you don’t want manure in your back garden! Compost is made from garden waste and has been formed to prevent your plants from developing diseases whilst also giving them the nutrients they require, so be sure to use this instead!
By correcting these five mistakes, there is absolutely no reason why your garden of gorgeous flowers won’t flourish this year. You never know you could even enter your local Gardener of the Year competition – and win!
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3 Comments
Can ericaceous compost be mixed with ordinary multi purpose compost. I have a raised bed with two blue berry plants in ordinary multipurpose compost. Could I put ericaceous compost on top.
Yes had this happen to me
No never it will oritaligat and kill your plants slowly