10 Spring Gardening Mistakes to Avoid
Spring gardening is exciting, but many beginners and experienced gardeners make mistakes that impact plant health and growth in their gardens, whether it’s flowers, vegetables, or both. Here are 10 spring gardening mistakes to avoid.
10 Spring Gardening Mistakes to Avoid
1. Planting too Early
Planting too early is easy to do, especially in Central Indiana, where I live. I’ve done it. It’s March and a warm spell moves in. Suddenly, it’s 60+F, the snow has melted, and the ground is warming up. Even buds are beginning on the trees, so it must be time to plant, right? Maybe, maybe not, because it doesn’t matter what the current temperature is. What matters is when to expect the last frost. The old saying here is to wait to plant after Mother’s Day, the second Sunday in May. Your best bet is to check the National Weather Service for frost/freeze dates in your area. Central Indiana is mid to late April.
2. Not Testing your Soil
Before planting your garden, we recommend testing the soil for its pH level (acidity or alkalinity) and the levels of essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Testing will indicate whether the soil is suitable for the plants you want to grow and what amendments might be needed to adjust the balance.
“What is pH level? Soil pH is a measure of soil acidity or alkalinity. The pH scale extends from 0 (a very strong acid) to 14 (a very strong alkaline or base), but most soils will have a pH range of 4 to 8.5.” — Purdue.edu — Soil pH
After testing the soil, you may want to add compost or fertilizer.
3. Over or Underwatering
Watering too often or not enough are common gardening mistakes. Gardeners water too much, thinking water can’t hurt, so let’s pour it on. However, overwatering can cause plant roots to become waterlogged, depriving them of oxygen and leading to root rot. Root rot can stunt plant growth, cause yellowing leaves and wilting, and ultimately kill the plant; essentially, it drowns the roots by preventing them from properly breathing in the soil.
Underwatering a garden causes plants to wilt, develop dry and browning leaves, slow down growth, and potentially die due to a lack of moisture. The soil becomes too dry, and the roots cannot access enough water to function properly. Essentially, the plant is not getting the water it needs to thrive and may start to show signs of stress, like drooping leaves and stunted growth.
The solution is to water deeply but less often, allowing the soil to dry slightly between waterings.
4. Crowding Plants
I’ve done this with seedlings and seeds, both flowers and veggies, by planting them too close together. It’s an easy mistake to make. Your best bet is to follow spacing recommendations on the package to prevent competition for nutrients, airflow issues, and disease. If, like me, you’ve dumped too many seeds into one area you can thin them as they emerge.
5. Ignoring Mulching
Mulch does much more than add continuity and attractiveness to your garden. It helps conserve water, inhibits weed growth, and discourages small animals from eating your plants. Applying a 2–3-inch layer of mulch will retain moisture, regulate soil temperature, and prevent weeds.
Pro Tip: Keep it away from stems to avoid rot.
6. Not Controlling Weeds Early
Don’t wait until it’s too late to pluck those weeds. Removing weeds early will help your plants win the battle for water and nutrients. Mulch and landscape fabric both can help suppress weed growth.
7. Overfertilizing
Overfertilizing is another mistake that’s easy to make. Heck, just open up the package and scoop some fertilizer on the mounds. But when you pour too much, you risk burning plants and then promoting excessive foliage instead of flowers or fruit. I’ve done this with tomato plants, have you? The answer is to go back to number two and base your fertilization, type, and amount, on the soil tests.
8. Pruning at the Wrong Time
“Trees and shrubs that flower before the end of June should be pruned immediately after flowering. Flower buds develop during the previous season’s growth, thus, the flowers for the current year’s bloom developed last year and overwintered in the bud.” — Purdue.edu — Pruning
Prune after flowering for plants like lilacs and forsythia, but prune summer bloomers in early spring.
9. Choosing the Wrong Plants for Your Zone
Planting species that don’t thrive in your climate is another common mistake. Some plants may look very attractive in the advertising, but if they don’t thrive in your climate zone, they will not be a pretty sight. Always check plant hardiness zones and select varieties suited to your area. Do not be fooled by believing you can make it work in your zone if it’s not suited to it.
10. Ignoring Pests and Diseases
Monitoring for early signs of infestations or disease is critical. You must inspect plants regularly. Going a week without checking could be the beginning of the end. It can sneak up on you.
Let us know if you’d like help with any gardening challenges this spring!
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So, if we can answer any questions about landscaping or snow removal, please don’t hesitate to Contact Us.
About the Author
Randy Clark is a speaker, coach, and author. He publishes a weekly blog at Randy Clark Leadership.com. Randy is passionate about social media, leadership development, and flower gardening. He’s a beer geek, and on weekends he can be found fronting the Rock & Roll band Under the Radar. He’s the proud father of two educators; he has four amazing grandchildren and a wife who dedicates her time to helping others. Randy is the author of the Amazon bestseller The New Manager’s Workbook, a crash course in effective management.
Photo by Sandie Clarke on Unsplash
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