7 Gardening Mistakes to Avoid

Welcome!

Brought to you by the National Association of Realtors^®

Find HouseLogic on:: Facebook; |; Twitter
About the Site Hide This

You care about your home. The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® cares about homeownership. To help you become the best, most responsible homeowner you aspire to be, we want to provide you with free information and tools you can use to make smart and timely decisions about your home.

From time to time, we may reach out to you to help us support legislation and/or policies that may have an impact on you, the homeowner. You can choose to join our cause. Or you can choose not to. Regardless, your privacy is safe with us.

We'll never share or sell your email address or other personal information you may provide us in the course of using the site with anyone without your explicit consent.

Published: February 10, 2011
By: Oliver Marks
3Comments

Even veteran gardeners make rookie mistakes, like giving plants too much water and too little space. Here are common garden blunders. Consider yourself warned.

Effort: High 2-4 hrs/wk (growing season)
Investment: Low $250 to $500 (pro design help)

Mistake #2: Too much togetherness

Trees and shrubs that look properly spaced when you plant them will crowd each other and compete for water, sun, and nutrients in a few years. If you’re lucky, you can transplant some bushes; if you’re not, you’ll have to throw away starved shrubs.

Try this instead: Before digging, read spacing instructions. Give trees plenty of space—you can always fill in later. Stagger bushes and plants and create two rows, which will create more breathing room. The results will look absurdly sparse at first. But live with it. In a few years, your shrubs will fill empty spaces without suffocating each other.

Next: Mistake #3: Planting without a plan

Oliver Marks

A former carpenter and newspaper reporter, Oliver Marks has been writing about home improvements for 16 years. He’s currently restoring his second fixer-upper with a mix of big hired projects and small do-it-himself jobs.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Previous Next

Track Your Progress

Mark as Read

(3)

Beautiful tree! Thanks for the planting tips, Mariette.
Posted by HouseLogic on August 01, 2012

Just showing you how our 'Drake' elm, Ulmus parvifolia has grown since its planting day on March 13, 2012 and today, July 31 of 2012. This method of preparing the hole properly does work and you get an instant reward as is seen from both photos! Mariette´s Back to Basics
Posted by Mariette on July 31, 2012

On point #4: Neglecting the root of it all I'd like to add THE most crucial mistake often made. When planting a rose, shrub, tree or whatever, you buy some good potting soil, spent mushroom compost or cow manure (available at Home Depot). Set that aside and dig a DEEP and WIDE hole. Just anticipate the growth of that new garden member. In that hole you thoroughly mix the potting soil, spent mushroom compost or cow manure and the original soil. Now put water in that hole, SOAK it before planting. This way you make watering easier and your new living garden member can easily penetrate this perfect and nutritious soil for extending and growing its roots. This is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING and quite often overlooked! Most plants and trees are put into a hole and have to sit almost on their 'knees' as there is no space to go into. The original soil is too dense, too hard and often not rich enough. Fertilizing is no solution if this very basic thing is being overlooked! Mariette's Back to Basics
Posted by Mariette on July 31, 2012

Print Checklist

Do your homework:

They’re lush, green, and all-American. They’re also water-hogging, time-sucking nuisances. In fact, some are saying ‘no’ to turf. Should we get rid of our lawns?

What are lawn alternatives?

Turf grasses

Ground cover

Fake grass

And, yes, lawn paint!