As you grew your vegetable garden this summer, you may have felt disappointed with how your crops turned out. But don’t fret since there may be some simple answers to why they did not turn out the way you hoped. Review these four mistakes you should avoid with your vegetable garden so that you can enjoy more bountiful harvests in the future.
Growing Plants in the Shade
If you tried to grow a vegetable garden in a shady location this summer, that’s a mistake you should avoid from here on out. Unfortunately, by keeping your plants in the shade, you deprive them of the sunlight they need to grow big and juicy veggies for you to eat.
Doing so can even be a health risk since you expose them to more damage from pests and diseases. Next time, keep your plants healthy by giving them the necessary sunshine.
Not Diversifying Your Garden
Growing your garden with a focus on only one type of crop can also hurt your harvest. One of the things to consider when buying seeds for your garden is how much you want to diversify it since it will benefit your plants.
Try companion planting in your garden next year. When you put certain plants adjacent to each other, you’ll help draw the insects they need to help accelerate their growth. Like humans, plants sometimes need a little help from friends.
Overwatering Your Plants
Like sunlight, plants need water to grow. But a mistake you should avoid with your vegetable garden is giving them far too much.
In general, try to give them an inch of water each week. If you see symptoms like wilting or parts of the plants’ leaves turning brown, those are signs that you gave them too much.
Planting Too Much
Another mistake to avoid is adding too many plants to your garden. Unfortunately, when you cram too many plants together, they can steal the sunlight and the air from each other and cause the spread of pests and diseases. Try to plant less in the future. This way, you’ll have a much better harvest.
You’ll enjoy much greater yields when you avoid these mistakes in your garden. You’ll then have crops you can be proud of and plenty of wonderful vegetables to eat and keep you healthy.
