Gardener Janet Kilburn Phillips once said, ‘There are not gardening mistakes, only experiments’ however some experiments in the garden can be avoided and save you time and money too…
‘There are not gardening mistakes, only experiments’
Planting too close together
It’s so tempting to pack in plants and shrubs to create an ‘instant’ garden, but this is definitely going to waste your time further down the line when you have to move plants that are fighting for light and space in your borders.
- Read the plant labels, look at the ‘ultimate height and spread’ of your plants and space accordingly. A small 2 litre Camellia can have an ultimate height and spread of 2-3 metres so having this at the front of a border is not a good idea.
- Before you plant anything, place the shrubs in the bed so you have a visual idea of the textures and colours of your plants. Check the spacing and make sure anything that is going to be big is at the back with the lowest planting at the front. Stand back and move anything you are not happy with. Ask for a second opinion and only plant when you are happy with the layout and spacing. I find that a cup of tea is invaluable in this process!
Planting the wrong plant in the wrong place (soil and aspect)
Before you choose plants, make sure your purchases are going to be happy in the soil in your garden and the position in which you want to plant them. pH kits are available so you can test how acid or alkaline your soil is as some plants are very picky. A pH of 7.0 is neutral. Acid soil has a pH value of below 7.0 and Alkaline soil has a pH value of more than 7.0.
- Sandy soils are free draining and great for plants that don’t like soggy roots – think Mediterranean planting like lavender, verbena and geranium. If your soil is very dry and crumbly, then add organic matter like composted manure or leaf mould before planting to help improve the nutrient content and water retention in the soil.
- Clay soil tends to be wet and boggy in the winter but bakes hard in the summer when dry. As with sandy soils, this can be improved with the addition of organic matter to break up the clay and also coarse grit will help with drainage. Make sure you loosen the sides of any planting hole you dig so that water does not form in the bottom and waterlog the roots.
- Chalky soil is alkaline and generally will not support ericaceous plants like Camellia and Rhododendron. Where soil is shallow over the chalk layer, you will need to add topsoil to increase your planting depth and break up any chalky layer where possible to allow roots to spread. Ceanothus, Campanula, Dianthus and Geranium will all tolerate chalk soil.
- Ericaceous soil is an acidic soil, and this favoured by Camellia, Rhododendron, Azalea and Heather to name a few. If your soil is neutral, you can increase the pH value by adding ericaceous compost but don’t plant ericaceous plants in alkaline soil – they will not thrive.
- Again, check the plant labels and information, these will generally tell you what sort of soil a plant will prefer.
Not maintaining plants effectively (watering, weeding and feeding)
Plants want to do well, they really do, but we have to be mindful of their needs and give them the best chance to thrive and grow.
Watering is essential for all living things and one of the first things you should look at if a plant is not doing well.
- Plants in pots or containers will dry out more quickly than those in the ground so the trick here is little and often to keep them moist with a regular water supply to the roots. Make sure you add a layer of stones or crock (bits of broken pot) to the bottom of the container and mix some grit into your compost for additional drainage if your plant likes free draining soil.
- Dress the top of the container with gravel, stone or other dressing of your preference to keep moisture in and weeds out.
- In the winter, raise pots and containers off the ground (stones, feet from garden centre etc) to make sure they don’t become waterlogged.
- In hot conditions, use a watering can to ‘spot water’ the base of plants to ensure the water goes to the root system. This applies to container plants and those in your borders.
- Do not water the leaves of a plant – this can cause mildew or other fungal diseases.
Feeding is another essential of life and plants are no different to people in that regard.
- Plants need regular feeding when they are growing (normally in the Spring). You can use a general-purpose fertiliser or one with a high nitrogen content to support them in this process.
- In the summer months using a feed that is high in potassium (like tomato feed) is ideal to promote more flowers and fruit.
- Sometimes plants can develop iron deficiency, often indicated by yellowing leaves. As iron is involved in the production of chlorophyll (green compound) through photosynthesis a deficiency will interfere with the plant’s ability to transport nutrients through the plant tissue and produce energy for growth. Iron supplements are available for plants and can be given as a diluted liquid feed or added to soil.
Weeding is something that we may not worry about but…
- Perennial weeds can take over a flower bed and create competition for nutrients with your plants.
- By weeding in the spring and autumn, you can help to keep down the weeds in your garden, so they don’t establish a root system and spread.
- Use a hoe to loosen the roots systems or pull up by hand. Avoid using chemicals whenever possible as this will impact on the biodiversity in your garden.
- Don’t compost weeds – remove to your green waste bin.
- To get rid of weeds on hard surfaces you can try carefully pouring boiling water over them; remove them by hand with a sharp knife/trowel or use a thermal weeder (heat or flame). Repeat as necessary to keep on top of persistent weeds.
- Contact your local council if you think that you have an invasive weed in your garden – for example Japanese Knotweed.
If you would like further advice about gardening mistakes to avoid, then please get in touch to arrange a FREE 30 minute consultation.
