What Should You Never Do in a Vegetable Garden? Tips and Tricks for a Healthy Garden
Read these tips and tricks for a healthy garden, or risk failure.
Okay, that might sound dramatic, but it’s at least a little bit true.
Unfortunately, like many things, there are rules when it comes to gardening. Wouldn’t it be fun if you could just chuck a bunch of seeds around willy-nilly and get the results you want? It would! But that’s not the world we live in.
There are dos and don’ts to be aware of, and some of those can make or break a garden. Some of these might seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised by how easy it is to forget!
So, we’re going over some of the most important tips and tricks for a healthy garden. Sure, there are dozens more if you really want to go all-out, but we’re not doing that today. Today, we’re focusing on the essentials. If you want to start your gardening journey, or level up your skill, get yourself a tea, and let’s jump into it.
Don’t feel like reading through all the tips and tricks for a healthy garden? Some of the things that you should never do include over fertilising, overcrowding, watering every day, loading up on pesticides, and ignoring the shady part of the garden! There are plenty of other things you should never do in your garden, too, so if you want to find out more, just keep reading!
Don’t Over Fertilise for a Healthy Garden
While your garden will require plenty of nutrients in order to be healthy and profitable, there’s a limit. There is such a thing as too much, and too much fertiliser can lead to a whole host of problems that you would probably rather not deal with.
For a healthy garden, make sure to time your fertilising properly. Some plants will need it more often than others, and you will need a variety of fertilisers. It’s always best to conduct soil tests before fertilising. That way, you will always know if it’s actually necessary or not.
Your Plants Need Space, too – Don’t Overcrowd Them!
Like (most) people, plants need some space, too. In fact, it’s crucial for plants to have enough space… or else they can die. Crowded plants are like gladiators in the arena, fighting for water and nutrients until their bitter end.
Make life a bit easier for them and give them ample room so that they don’t need to raise a gladius and seek out the cries of their enemies.
With that being said, some plants might prefer to be a little closer to their comrades. It’s all about size and needs. Always do your research on the specific plant that you’ll be growing to make the best decision every time.
Avoid Using Synthetic Fertiliser
Fertiliser is good for plants! Right? You would think this is the case for all fertilisers, but think again. It isn’t uncommon for synthetic fertilisers to actually be harmful to your plant due to the chemicals it contains.
Natural is best, so maybe you should stick to compost.
Remember – at the end of the day, the chemicals you feed vegetable plants will ultimately end up inside you, too. Give your plants everything they could want and more, for both their sake and yours.
The Climate Plays a Huge Role
Climates will always play a huge part in your garden, whether you like it or not. The only possible exception to this is if you have a functioning greenhouse. That greenhouse can make all the difference, but they can be expensive to not only build, but also maintain.
If, like most people, you don’t have a greenhouse, pay attention to the climate you live in. Your favourite fruits grown in South Asia or South America likely aren’t going to fare well in the UK. Sheer willpower won’t change that.
So, play to the strengths of your climate, and opt for plants that are actually likely to succeed. Sure, there might be a few exceptions in this area, but do your research and choose wisely.
Don’t Overwork Your Garden and Let it Settle
Overworking your garden is a huge mistake. In other words, all that endless tilling and digging you’re doing is doing more harm than good. Some of the most productive and healthiest gardens have never been tilled – surely that tells you something!
The truth is, when you till or dig, you are harming the delicate soil life. It will also lead to compact soil down the line, making it difficult to work with and not very good for growing.
You can avoid all the back-breaking digging and tilling by opting for a no-till system instead! You can use sheet composting and mulch instead, and get incredible results. Not only is it actually less work for you, but the soil will thank you.
You Don’t Need to Fork Out Hundreds
Yes, gardening can be an expensive hobby… but it doesn’t have to be! There are affordable ways to enjoy gardening, you just need to know where to look.
Furthermore, you can put the money that you do use towards gardening to feed you and your family (we love vegetable gardens, right?). There’s no need to buy all the most expensive seeds, soils, and solutions.
You can garden on a budget, almost from the get-go. Sure, you might need to spend some money on the basics to get started, but keep it simple, and you can enjoy it without your pockets getting too light.
Watering Your Garden Every Day is a Terrible Idea
It’s easy to assume that a garden needs to be watered every day, but this simply isn’t true. Of course, your garden does need plenty of water in order to be healthy, but every single day is overkill. In fact, it can do a lot of harm, and not only for the reasons you might expect!
Firstly, yes, overwatering will lead to soggy ground and potentially root rot if you have poor drainage. However, the real issue with overwatering is this: your plants will become lazy and needy.
Yes, that’s actually a thing. If you supply your plants with water daily, they won’t have any need to set deep roots. They might not even root properly at all. If that happens, your plant will fail to bear any fruit (literally).
So, try to water your plants once a week. If you live in a hot, dry climate, maybe twice a week if they really need it. When you do water them, don’t be stingy, either. Up to two inches of water is great, and will ensure that your plants are hardy and healthy.
If it rains all the time, then there’s obviously no need to water them yourself.
Plants Need Support, too!
Top-heavy plants will need your support as they grow bigger. Common top-heavy plants include tomatoes and various kinds of beans. Make sure you use the correct equipment to give them the best chance.
A trellis is perfect for beans, while cages or even stakes are good options for tomatoes. As you grow more top-heavy plants, you will learn what works and what doesn’t. You might even learn something new and figure out something even better – you never know.
Don’t Plant Too Late Or Too Early
Plant too early, and it’s likely too hot or too cold. Plant too late, and… well, you encounter the same issue. Different plants like to be planted at different times of the year, so take into consideration which Hemisphere and zone you’re in.
Poor timing will likely lead to failure, or at the very least, a stunted garden. Luckily, seed packets always have information regarding the best time to start growing, so all you need to do is follow those instructions! You could also use the internet, just make sure that you’re tailoring the information to where you are.
Avoid Planting In Bare Soil
Don’t misunderstand. Plant in the soil, by all means! Just avoid planting in bare soil. In other words, soil that hasn’t been enriched or amended with your chosen organic matter.
Always aim to use some compost in the months before you want to plant. That way, there is ample time for the soil to properly absorb the nutrients. Do this, and your garden will be wonderfully fertile.
Different Seeds, Different Depths
It’s kind of what it says on the tin, isn’t it? Even so, here’s a little explanation – small seeds tend to do well in shallow depths. On the other end of the spectrum, larger seeds usually need to be buried deeper in order to germinate and thrive.
It’s crucial for seeds to get the right amount of moisture and sunlight, or else it’s all for nought. You don’t want your seeds to dry out to stay in the dark.
If you’re ever in doubt, refer to the seed packet. The seed packet knows all. You can get all the tips and tricks for a healthy garden you want, but never forget about those packets.
Too Many Seedlings? Thin Them Out
You might feel attached to your adorable little seedlings once they start to rear their little green leaves… but the world is cruel, and you need to pick favourites. We all love an underdog, but you need to throw that sentimentality out the window for this one.
Pick out the weaklings and leave only the strongest seedlings behind. You want a successful garden. To achieve that, sometimes you need to make difficult decisions.
If you have the space, you could try moving the ‘spare’ seedlings to a different try. However, this isn’t always an option because, well, space is limited, isn’t it?
Those Shady Garden Spots Can Still be Useful
It’s easy to ignore the shady spots in our garden and think that it’s wasted space. After all, what kind of plant, which relies on photosynthesis, could live a happy life in a place like that?
The truth is… not all of them.
However, there are some plants that thrive in shady areas, or at least partially-shaded areas.
If you want to focus on vegetable gardening, you can plant things like lettuce, broccoli, or kale in these shady areas. These all love cooler areas and don’t want a lot of sunlight in the first place.
If you want to grow herbs, consider planting coriander, oregano, or basil in these shaded areas. Alternatively, shade-loving plants that are commonly kept as houseplants include the ZZ plant, Chinese evergreen, cast iron plant, and more. Try your hand at growing those wherever you like!
Weeds Kill. Don’t Ignore Them
We already mentioned the glorious battles that many plants have to endure as a result of overcrowding, right? Well, weeds offer the same nasty outcome. Weeds steal the water and nutrients from the plants you’re actually trying to grow.
This can result in your beloved plants dying off if you don’t attend them.
Make sure you do frequent weed checks and pull out anything that doesn’t look like it belongs. This will make your garden much happier and healthier, and your plants will thank you for it.
Bigger is Not Always Better
Contrary to popular belief, sometimes you really need to start small and slowly build it up. This is crucial in gardening, especially if you’re a beginner.
It’s so easy to get overwhelmed, and let’s be honest – you probably won’t know what you’re doing for a while. Take it slow and learn everything you need to before upsizing.
Your mental health will thank you, as will your physical health. Not to mention your bank account!
Avoid Using Pesticides if You Can
Finally, pesticides. When is comes to tips and tricks for a healthy garden, pesticides are easily overlooked. While pesticides can be helpful in preventing failures in the garden, you need to know something important – it’s all chemicals. Those chemicals will eventually end up in you and your family.
As such, it really makes sense to avoid them where you can. The pesticides, that is, not your family.
Does that mean that you are submitting yourself to a lifetime of suffering? No! There are ways to successfully garden without using pesticides. One of the most popular ways is by doing companion gardening. Plant your crops with the right companion plants, and you can repel any kind of insect imaginable. We have a whole article about pest-repelling plants, so why not check that out?
Final Thoughts
Well, there you have it, folks. There are plenty of things that you should avoid doing in your garden if you want to get the best results. These are all tried and tested no-gos, so don’t even think about trying to be the exception! Hopefully these tips and tricks for a healthy garden are as helpful as you’re hoping!
If you liked this article and would like to continue your gardening spree, why not have a look at some of our other posts? Learn more about the types of gardening, which plants repel the most pests, and which plants attract them! Find out which herbs you should grow at home (and how to dry them), which plants are easy and difficult to grow, and even how to use whey in gardening.
More into the animal side of things? Find out what you need to know about laying hens and caring for goats, and even learn which dairy goat breed is best! Learn how easy it is to start your journey to self-sufficiency and even some quick ways to get started today – there’s lots to learn and enjoy.
We would definitely recommend checking out our recipes, too. Pizza, lemon bars, pasta, and curry – we have it all.