Gardening is a lifelong learning pursuit for many avid gardeners. Experiences filled with many accolades, kudos and jaw dropping praises.
But in reality, those stunning successes can be far and few between.
Seasoned gardeners will also remember plants that just barely lived, performed so poorly that they were relegated to the compost heap and others that died for no apparent reason.
Perhaps, those plants that struggled will never be spoken of but simply forgotten.
Nothing can be further from the truth.
Any good gardener will admit to numerous disheartening failures, catastrophes and “I haven’t a clue” failures.
Similar to all learning endeavors, mistakes are the best teachers.
Many mistakes will form a repertoire and become what is called “experience.” These experiences will add to accumulated gardening knowledge or “expertise”.
Gardeners who develop this expertise readily acknowledge that there are a few common gardening mistakes that can be easily rectified with a little common sense.
Every plant has specific needs that must be met to ensure optimum performance. Researching or simple reading the plant tag will go a long way in knowing where and how to plant.
These tags sticking out of pots contain vital plant information. Instructions pertaining to sun and moisture requirements must be specifically followed. Often, the tag will describe how large a plant will get.
Even the most experienced gardener will ask a lot of questions of garden centre personnel. Many of these employees are very passionate about plants. They know local conditions and will make suggestions to individual problems.
Further research should be done if the plant does not have a descriptive tag or specific questions have not been appropriately answered. The Internet is an excellent source for gardeners outlining the specific growing requirements for any plant.
It may seem obvious, but all plants need to be planted as soon as possible.
This is especially true for plants that have been transplanted. They simply need to be restored to a stable environment that will allow a resumption of the growing process.
If the planting must be delayed, locate plants in a shaded area to ensure that they will not dry out.
The element of space in design is a difficult concept for gardeners to forecast. Space is essential for the proper growth of all plants. Immature nursery stock will need space to grow to full size. Reading attached tags is essential for the final position within a garden.
New plants, shrubs and trees may look aesthetically spaced when first planted but will crowd each other and compete for sunlight, water and nutrients as they grow older.
Transplanting may be an option but larger specimens have a very poor success rate. Transplanted plants will always go through a period of severe setback especially if they are planted in direct sunlight.
Before any digging, always forecast the amount of space needed for a full grown plant.. Try to envision the plant, shrub or tree at full-size. This will create ample breathing room.
The results will look absurd but in a few years, the plant will fill in empty spaces without suffocating each other.
Recently, I have seen what might be called a trendy gardening design gone amok.
Gardeners have carefully constructed volcanoes surrounding newly planted trees. By volcanoes, I mean mulch piled in a dome around the trunk of the tree.
Where did this idea come from?
I suppose aesthetically the coloured mulch may look pleasing but from a horticultural standpoint, the poor tree spends the next three to five years dying.
Most often, the tree or shrub is young or newly planted. I am sure the homeowner wants to create an environment that will protect their investment while giving the tree lots of care.
Huge piles of mulch around the trunk will cause a multitude of problems for the tree. Just as with human skin, bark is the protective layer of the tree. It holds all the vitals in place.
Bark must be constantly exposed to air to properly protect the tree.
Wet mulch will soften the bark which allows for easy access for insects and disease.
Beginning gardeners can be assured that they are not the only ones who make mistakes.
The simple fact is “the more we garden, the more we learn”.
Ron Stevenson is a member of the Fergus Horticultural Society.
