5 Common Mistakes New Gardeners Make

I started a flower, herb, and vegetable garden years ago. My parents grew a huge vegetable garden throughout their lives so I was sure I knew everything about gardening. I may have spent most of my time trying to avoid working in their gardens, but when I started my own, I thought, “How hard can this be?” The answer? Pretty hard. I killed my fair share of plants with these 5 common mistakes new gardeners make.

Last year, in the midst of the pandemic, I decided to work toward my Master Gardener certification. Guess what I discovered? I still had a lot to learn.  As the interest in planting their own gardens, no matter what size of space available, has increased, it’s more important than ever to know these common mistakes to save time, money, and frustration.

5 Common Mistakes New Gardeners Make

Whenever someone tells me they have a black thumb, I share these easy tips to help avoid killing off their crop.

  1. Not doing the research on the plant before purchase. Plants, like people, can be picky. All plants have certain preferences for soil type, along with preferences for the amount of light, water, fertilizer, and drainage needed. Some plant varieties are more susceptible to disease than others.
Eden-Island-State-Park

To find the most up-to-date information on plant varieties that grow well in your area, contact your local extension agency or your state extension agency. Not only can they give you a list of native and non-native plants, because they are backed by a university, but they will also give unbiased, research-based information.

2. Overcrowding the Plants. Most of us want our garden to have a lush, overflowing look. But, plants that are too close together will compete for nutrients in the soil and not thrive. There’s also the risk of fungal infections in some plants when they are overcrowded, as I discovered with my crop of Bee Balm.

When planting, it’s important to follow the directions included on the back of the label regarding spacing, depth of planting, and other care requirements to promote healthy plants.

3. Right plant, right place. This is a maxim I’ve heard over and over again. Before planting, ask yourself these questions:

Stetson-Mansion-Garden
  • How much sun (or shade) does this plant need? Planting a plant that requires full sun in a shady area (or vice versa) is asking for trouble. It may not die, but it won’t grow full and lush either. Spindly, sickly-looking plants don’t make a pretty garden.
  • How tall will this plant grow? Planting a bush or tree that grows to be seven feet tall in front of a window might not be the best choice. Remember, it’s easier to plant in the right place in the beginning than try to worry about it later.
CUmberland Gap State Park
  • What is the plant’s hardiness zone? When I first started planting, I wanted to grow the lovely tropical flowers found in Florida. Great idea, except I live in Zone 7 and they grew in Zone 9. I could grow them in our hot, humid summers, but when the weather took a dive into our uncertain winter temperatures, they died. Once I realized I could still find lovely flowers that grew in my planting zone, my garden took on a new life.
  • Is this a perennial or an annual? I love perennials. They come back year after year and spread into more areas of my garden. I can remove the excess perennials and plant them in different beds without the expense of purchasing more. Annuals provide quick color but require replanting each year.
fall-foliage-South-Cumberland-State-Park

4. Not checking the Soil Type and Conditions. Soil is classified into 4 main types; sand, silt, loam, and clay, while mixes of these soils can also be found. They all have varying water, fertilizer, and drainage needs. Find which types of soil are common in your area and if the soil needs improvement before you plant. The easiest way to do this is through soil testing. It’s available through your local state or county extension office for (usually) a small fee.

We live in Georgia where the soil tends to be dense clay. This soil type is compacted, making it harder to grow plants. Once we learned the elements of how to improve the soil, the flowers and herbs began to flourish.

Roses- gardening tips

5. Not using mulch. The importance of mulch cannot be overstated. It helps retain moisture, protects plants during overwintering, and if you are using bark, straw, or compost, as it breaks down it will provide valuable organic matter to the soil.

Jekyll-Island-South-Dunes

If you are interested in planting your own vegetables, herbs, and flowers, stay tuned. I’ll be sharing tips I’ve learned in a new gardening series. If you have any questions you’d like answered, let me know. What are your favorite gardening tips to share?

38 Comments

  1. I don’t have any gardening tips. My only success has been with cherry tomatoes in a topsy turvy. I tried strawberries but they were a complete failure.

  2. I’ve never experienced maintaining a garden for a long time. I think this is a really good guide for beginners like me. Gardening is not easy but it’s worth it.

  3. I must admit, I am not much of a gardener! I always over fertilize my plants.

  4. these are GREAT tips for a beginner to know and avoid! My parents are BIG time gardeners, so it’s safe to say I’ve learned many tips from a young age… I also love to garden and I avoid those mistakes you’ve mentioned : )

  5. I’m so guilty of these! I tend to overcrowd because I like the look of a full garden. I guess I just have to remember to be patient, huh?

  6. Our Family World

    I will let my mom know about the organic fertilizer. We have coffee grounds everyday and rather than throwing them in the trash, I will make it into fertilizer.

  7. Thank you for the tips. I think I am under fertilizing my plants and I need to work on that. Totally forgot about the egg shells and coffee grounds. Somebody told us about it before. 🙂

  8. Annemarie LeBlanc

    I am the only one among my siblings that has a green thumb. Got it from my mom who grows the most beautiful orchids and hydrangeas. I am into succulents and just the sight of a new bud makes me happy. Thank you for these tips It will help a lot of newbie garden enthusiasts.

  9. cosmeticsanctuary

    Great tips! I’m not a gardener of any kind, but we have some fabulous ones that we love!

  10. Very good tips here. I have been practicing this stuff for awhile now; this article should go a long way for some people.

  11. Oh my word thank you for this. Some times I wonder if I have a brown thumb! Lol!

  12. Very helpful tips, we are new to the gardening life. I’m here for an tips I can get.

  13. I am most certain I’ve done all of these more than once. I need to reevaluate and see what I can do. I really enjoy gardening but am terrible at it!

  14. It is definitely something you want to be careful of when planting flowers/plants. Always read the directions. I have learned from my own mistakes with this too.

  15. I’ll admit it I’ve done all of the above. Oops! But I’m probably most guilty of “Not reading the instructions on the plant.” Nice reminders for those of us who don’t have green thumbs on some basic things not to screw up 🙂

  16. I made the mistake of overcrowding when I planted my first garden. My mom and grandpa always made it look so easy.

  17. I would be the one who buys the wrong plant for the wrong zones. haha! I have a black thumb.

  18. Guilty of all of the above, plus forgetting to water. I need to spruce up my yard before much longer so we can enjoy a gorgeous outdoor space all summer.

  19. I haven’t planted my garden yet this year and am bookmarking this page. I always forget to save my coffee grounds. That is such a great tip! 🙂

  20. This is a very helpful list. I know I tried some gardening a couple of years ago and would have appreciated this article back then. 🙂

  21. As a newer person to gardening, these tips were awesome! I definitely need to take some of these and write them down.

  22. This is really helpful! As much as I want to start gardening, I’m afraid I might do these mistakes. Thanks for sharing this!

  23. Thank you for this post! I am a new gardener and I am so intimidated by gardening!! Not so much after reading this post!

  24. I’m a newbie gardener. We have a lot of space around our house that needs to be cleared out and I’m considering some gardening on the patio. Pinning this for reference!

  25. My husband says I have a black thumb. I’m great with vegetables but when it comes to everything else I’m not so good at that. I’m actually testing a houseplant now to see if I can get it through the summer

  26. I have a black thumb so, unfortunately, I have zero gardening tips!! The only tip I know is to not overwater…LOL!!

  27. I never had a garden, so I only plant in pots. These are great tips and I’m bookmarking this for future reference.

  28. No matter how many years that I have been doing this, I still over crowd my plants. They start off so small – I cant help it!

  29. Thanks for sharing! I do not have a green thumb, but I do like to pretend to! Haha!

  30. Excellent tips – my tip would be to check for the planting time. Nurseries will sell plants that won’t survive summer (at least in Phoenix) so I feel bad for the beginner gardeners who plant lettuce in April!

  31. These are all great tips. I end up killing off a few things each year!

  32. I love gardening, but I am a horrible gardener! I never know how to do it!

  33. I am doing some planting today so this was a helpful refresher! I used to be that person who didn’t read the labels on the plants lol

  34. Catherine Sargent

    Thanks for the great tips. I don’t have a garden, but I was thinking about trying an herb garden.

  35. I live in a desert and so it’s harder to do stuff here. I also am famous for killing every plant that I have ever done so this will help me quite a bit. Thank you for sharing.

  36. Living in a desert climate means gardening is always difficult. We attempted one a few years ago and a soil mistake is what ruined the entire experience.

  37. My biggest tip is NOT to rush the process. People always overcrowd their plants because they want that mature look right away. It only serves to weaken the plants.

  38. I have never had a garden, so I didn’t know any of these things. I would totally have over-crowded everything….