Advice for Beginning Gardeners – Mistakes to Avoid

Posted on: December 4th, 2011 by admin
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If you are trying out gardening for the first time, there are certain gaffes you do not want to make. Perchance you do have some bloopers, you do not have to be letdown, as you can typically fix it right aware or in the next season. However, with a little forethought and knowledge, you can bypass many typical newbie gardening mistakes such as the ones we will be talking about in this article.

You can really negatively impact the growth of your plants by planting at the wrong time of year. This is a mistake that is easy to avoid. The most common mistake in this area is planting too early, whether you’re planting new seeds or moving a plant from indoors to your outdoor garden.

You may be enjoying the nice spring-like weather, but don’t take it for granted that a late frost won’t occur. You risk your plants – they could die – if winter weather returns and you get some killing frosts or extremely cold weather. If you just give it a little more time – until all danger of freezing weather is past – your garden will get off to a healthy start.

One of the biggest obstacles a gardener must overcome are pests in the garden. Pests can be split into two main categories – small ones and big ones. Pesticides are very effective for dealing with small insects and different diseases that afflict your plants. When you choose to use pesticides, you must do so with caution and make sure you follow the directions on the container. If not, you may do more damage to other plants. Learn which small insects are good for your garden and make sure your pesticide isn’t one that will kill them. Especially beneficial to your plants are ladybugs, dragonflies, and bees. If you want to plant according to organic principles, you’ll have to rely on natural methods of pest control, such as garlic, mineral oils and soaps.

Larger pests are animals that may want to eat your vegetables or chew on your plants. Depending on where you live, you may have skunks, squirrels, rabbits, and deer to contend with. Even your pet cat or dog can be a pest when it comes to your garden. Sometimes the only solution to protecting your plants is to put up a strong fence.

Make sure you learn about plants that can grow fast and spread – thus strangling your other plants. These plants can really hamper the production of other plants. There are many common plants that can become invasive and inhibit the growth of other plants.

A good example of this is goldenrod, whose yellow flowers can brighten up a garden, but which can also spread quickly if not controlled. If you order seeds from a catalog, there will usually be a warning that the plant is aggressive or prolific. If you’re fond of a certain invasive plant, the best solution is to plant it in a container so it doesn’t pose a threat to its neighbors. When you take a knowledgeable approach to gardening, you will be able to stay away from some of these detrimental issues. If you are not sure about the care requirements of any of your plants, it is not wise to speculate. If you’re not sure about something, there are plenty of sources of information, whether on the internet or at your local nursery. Do not forget that plants may be similar but are not exactly alike and will require specific maintenance plans.

Finished with your gardening for tonight? How about relaxing with a game of Bingo online or prefer live Bingo Halls?


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