10 Cheap Tricks That Are Actually Making Your Garden Look Worse
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It is as fulfilling as it is demanding for those with the knack for landscaping to maintain the look of their garden. The idea of gaining a solution which will be as cheap as possible is always appealing, let alone if it concerns highly detailed work such as garden maintenance. However, applying a given wrong advice in the garden will work against it and in the process make the appearance of garden poor.
This guide contains low-cost tips that you may be implementing but are harming your gardening outcome.
Overcrowding Plants
There is also a tendency by many gardeners aiming at quickly filling the empty spaces by overcrowding their plants. But this can in fact have an adverse impact on the growth and development of your plants. Overcrowding robs them of the nutrients they require as well as sunlight which makes them stunted and have cramped like appearances. Rather, one should properly space the plant so that each one of them can receive adequate nutrients it deserves to help enhance its beauty.
Using Cheap Fertilizers
Applying nutrients to the plants is known as fertilizing, depending on the purpose it has an important role in gardening. However, it is also important to consider that adopting cheap quality fertilizers may be more detrimental. They also contain salts that scorch the root system of your plants or alter the nutrient ratio in your soil.You can purchase qualitatively good organic fertilizers or prepare your own compost for the garden.
Leaving Pruning and Maintenance to Be Done
Most gardeners are able to find ways to reduce the amount of time and money that they spend on pruning and maintenance. This leads to the growth of plants in unhealthy and untidy manner which affects the looks of your compound. The classic pruning contributes to the overall purpose of improving a plant’s health and stimulates growth and blossoming.
Using Invasive Plant Species
Buying new plant species from other regions and supplementing your garden with them may well appear to be financially reasonable. As the number of these plants increases, they may dominate leading to an unprecedented competition that results to invasion of native plants and quite an ugly scene in any planting zone. Before introducing any new species of plants to your garden program yourself on the growth habit and invasiveness index.
Ignoring Sun and Soil Requirements
Some plants require certain amount of direct sunlight and certain conditions of the soil they are planted in. Failure to meet these requirements leads to low growth and products that have an unimpressive outlook. In the same process it is important to understand that while some plants require full sunlight there are others that require shade or partial sunlight. Likewise, different plants grow well under certain soil pH and nutrient status, and will need to be adapted accordingly. It is also important that you get familiar with the needs of the plants before planting; this give you adequate places to develop them.
Overlooking Proper Drainage
It may seem like over watering is almost as big a sin in gardening, but having bad drainage is almost as bad. Another problem that affects plants that are grown on poorly draining soils is root rot which kills your plants. To help prevent this, well-drained soil and proper drainage in the garden are needed to stop water from sitting in the area for too long.
Using Pesticides and Herbicides Unnecessarily
According to Sciencedirect, Pest and weed management is always a difficult part of gardening, though the use of pesticides and herbicides may seem like a welcome solution. It is important to understand that these chemicals can have adverse effects on good insects, pollinators, and even your plants if applied in large volumes. It is not advisable to use pesticides as a weed control strategy but should use techniques like companioning planting, and handpicking of weed.
Neglecting Proper Plant Labels
Labelling a plant may seem like a trivial play, but it occupies a central place when it comes to neatening up the garden appearance. Failure to properly label plants often makes it difficult to identify plants by their name and the specific care that they need to be given.
Skipping on Quality Tools
According to Texas Gardener, Purchasing good gardening tools may sound like a waste of money, but sharp and good gardening tools makes the work easier and quicker to accomplish. Inexperienced tools may also harm your plants and may give unclean cuts or compromised roots. Rather than this, one should seek to use better quality tools that will mean less need for purchase as they will do a better job in their usage.
Misusing Mulch
Others include, mulching as a way of conserving water, avoiding weed growth besides improving the aesthetics of the flowers. But misuse of mulch can have following consequences. The probability of covering root systems and over smothering the plant occurs when one applies too much of it and the excess also promotes mold and fungi. Additionally, applying mulch around the stem of a plant results in a shaded area where moisture is retained causing rot or pests. For greater effect, spread the mulch thick and keep a space around the stem of the plant.
Overlooking Seasonal Adjustments
Some issues arise when gardening because it is a gradual process that needs changes occasionally like during the seasonal changes. Most gardeners neglect to make changes to watering or pruning on a seasonal basis. There are different seasons of plant growth and development and what may be suitable for a plant in spring may prove very unsuitable in summer or winter. Pay attention to the differences between the growing seasons and time of the year adjusting your care techniques accordingly.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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