13 Gardening Myths That Are Killing Your Plants

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Gardening is a hobby which gives great joy. While it requires patience, effort and love so as to grow beautiful plants and flowers, it’s also where old wives’ tales and bad advice grow like weeds. With so much conflicting information out there, it’s no wonder that even the most eager of gardeners may be unknowingly sabotaging their own efforts.

Let’s dig up some of the most common gardening misconceptions that could be killing your plants, and set the record straight. By discarding these bad practices, you can grow a healthy garden and never have to deal with the frustration it can give.

It Is Essential to Water Plants Every Day

Overwatering is more damaging than underwatering, but many new gardeners think their plants need a daily dosing. You don’t have to water most plants every day. In fact, if you have too much water, it can drown the roots and cause rot. Water deeply and less often, so the soil has time to dry out between watering enough to allow roots to breath.

All Plants Love Full Sun

Right? That’s why we need sunshine for our plants. Well, not for all of them. For example, hostas and ferns actually prefer the shade. Leaves can be scorched and growth stunted by full sun. You need to know how much light your particular plants need—what a tomato thrives in won’t work for a peace lily.

Fertilizer Is a Cure-All

Fertilizer is no silver bullet, and might seem like the magic potion to any plant problem. Burnt roots, weak growth and even death of plants can result from over fertilizing. Nutrients are needed by plants but in the right balance. Less is more when it comes to feeding your garden—more fertilizer doesn’t equal more growth.

You Can’t Prune in the Summer

Pruning is something that some gardeners think you can only do in spring, worried that cuts made in the summer will damage their plants. It’s true that some plants should be pruned at certain times of year, but pruning lightly in the summer can actually help the plant grow healthier and promote air circulation. When it comes to pruning, just avoid heavy pruning when it’s too hot, because plants can stress easily in extreme temperatures.

The Organic Pesticides Are Completely Safe

You may be tempted to believe that organic means ‘totally safe,’ but even organic pesticides can harm beneficial insects, wildlife and your plants if misused. Natural doesn’t mean you can spray it willy-nilly. Follow instructions carefully and use non chemical methods before pesticides.

If You Add Sand to Clay Soil, it Dramatically Improves Drainage

Doesn’t mixing sand and clay sound like a good idea to improve drainage? Unfortunately, it can backfire into something more like concrete. The best way to do this is to add organic matter such as compost to loosen up clay soil, improve structure, and help with drainage without making your garden into a brick making factory.

More Mulch Is Always Better

The problem with mulch is that it is a great way to keep the soil moist and keep the weeds at bay, but if you pile it on too thick, it can smother the plants and create problems such as root rot. The layer is usually thin, about 2–3 inches deep. More mulch isn’t always better, don’t turn your garden into a mulch mountain.

All Bugs Are Bad for Your Garden

Not all insects are the enemy. Others, such as ladybugs and bees, are your garden’s best friends. They pollinate plants and keep bad pests away. Rather than grabbing the pesticide at the first sign of life, find out if you are dealing with friends or foes in your garden. A few bugs will sometimes do your plants good.

If You Mulch, You Don’t Need to Weed

While mulch does help suppress weeds, it’s no miracle worker. If you have too thin a layer of mulch or mulch made of lightweight materials, some determined weeds will still find a way through. Even though you can keep your garden looking its best, regular weeding is still required.

Young Trees Should Always Be Staked

Worst Trees to Put in Your Yard, Ranked in Order — Photo Credit: Brittany Corley/ Pexels

Although it sounds reasonable to stake young trees to help them grow, over staking them can actually weaken them. The wind needs to sway and bend trees so that these strong trunks, and roots can grow. Stake young trees only if absolutely necessary, and remove the stakes after the first year, so that the trees can grow naturally.

Coffee Grounds Are a Miracle Plant Food

Creative Ways to Reuse Old Coffee Grounds — Photo Credit: Oregon State University/Flickr

While coffee grounds are often touted as a cure all for your garden, they aren’t good for every plant. Some species can find them too acidic and they can stunt the growth of other species. Although they make great compost additions, be sure to check into whether or not they are detrimental to soil pH before sprinkling them directly on your plants.

Plants Can Heal Themselves if Cut

Photo Credit: Endah Kurnia P/Shutterstock

We tend to think that a plant will just ‘heal’ after pruning or cutting, but it’s not quite as simple as that. Animals heal in a way that plants don’t. They seal off wounds instead, and you want to make clean cuts so disease isn’t brought in. Don’t hack away blindly and expect it to work!

Plants Clean Indoor Air

Indoor plants purifying the air has been a big hype, but you’d need a jungle in your living room for it to make any significant difference. While fiddle leaf figs can make your space look and feel better, don’t think that they’ll fix your air quality problems.

Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.