A GARDENIG whizz has revealed the major mistakes people make that are ruining their gardens and plants.
With soil to hydrate and lawn to weed, gardening is no easy task, and making major errors is easier than you would think, according to one guru.
Offering a helping hand to all fellow enthusiasts, Chris Bonnett revealed the top mistakes gardening fans make, The Express reported.
Sharing his expertise, Chris, the CEO of Gardening Express, said that there's ''always room for improvement in anything'' – and here, gardening is no exception.
When it comes to gardening, Chris claimed there are a few mistakes he's seen people making – and these could even destroy their lawn and kill the plants.
He emphasised: ''Gardening mistakes usually come down to people doing little research about the plants they’re choosing.
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''You need to choose plants that are suited to your garden and the specific locations within it.''
The checklist to of things to consider when picking the right plants includes – the amount of water, sun and shade required, soil type, space available, flowering season, general maintenance, as well as winter care.
Over-watering
One of the main errors he's noticed people making is watering.
''A lot of people end up over-watering their plants in fear of them being underwatered and the truth is, giving a plant too much water is just as bad as not giving it any at all,'' Chris said.
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He went on to explain: ''It’s important to do your research, some plants (like the Jade plant) and crops can handle less water.''
If you're a beginner – or simply forgetful – the whizz advised opting a plant like this as '' it won’t do much damage if you forget to water it every now and again''.
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When planning out your watering schedule, it's very important to learn about your plant needs.
Over-fertilising
Similarly, the expert has also noticed the tendency to over-fertilise their plants.
''Fertilisers are great and sometimes essential in providing plants with an extra boost of essential nutrients like nitrogen.
''However, just like overwatering, over fertilising can really harm your plants and the environment.''
Signs to look out for are yellowing and browning of the laves, slow growth, as well as burnt or dry leaf margins.
In the spring and summer months, you should try to fertilise your plants every four to six weeks.
Forgetting compost
''Another common mistake people make is not adding organic material to their soil.''
Chris explained that this enriches the soil, which in turn helps the soil retain vital nutrients and moisture – both of which are also important for optimal plant growth.
''I assume people avoid composting because they think it’s too much work when actually all you need to do is mix materials that you could find in your garden.''
When putting together the compost, it should consist half of materials high in nitrogen, such as grass clippings, and the other 50 per cent of materials high in carbon, for example, shredded cardboard, wood stems and bark.
Planting too close
''Planting too close is another mistake I see often,'' Chris said.
The guru, who also recently revealed the TiKTok gardening hacks to best give a miss, the problem with this is that ''your plants will be fighting for sunlight, water, and even nutrients in the soil around them''.
''Being too close to one another will also compromise their root growth affecting their growth overall.''
Although there is no rule of thumb as to how far apart one should be planting, remember that the crops that initially look like they're spaced out too much have the potential to grow and be filled up in no time.
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