I’m a gardening expert… people make five common mistakes, & why cutting the lawn too short can be truly catastrophic
A GARDENING whizz has revealed the five common errors people make when it comes to looking after their green space.
With Brits now enjoying what could be a hot Spanish summer of four more sizzling heatwaves, most are enjoying their days outdoors working on their gardens.
But while rushing to get your green space ready for guests popping over for a boozy BBQ, you might actually be making a few small mistakes, The Express reported.
Offering a helping hand to navigate you through all the gardening Dos and Don’ts, the gurus at Sutton Manor Nursery have revealed the list of the most common mistakes to avoid.
Over and underwatering
When it comes to gardening, the experts revealed that over and under watering is “the most common mistake people make”.
This is because most plants have different watering requirements and people are not always aware of this – underwatering one plant could be overwatering another.
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Signs of an overwatered plant include: yellowing leaves, brown tips, wilting but with wet soil and root rot.
Signs of an underwatered plant include: dry leaves, brown tips, leaf curling and leaf dropping.
Here, is is important to remember to not water plants too frequently – even during warmer days.
Try to water less frequently, but when you do, make sure the soil is thoroughly saturated.
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Cutting lawns too short
“This can cause a chain reaction of problems for your grass that can be truly catastrophic,” the gardening pros revealed.
Whilst many might not realise this, but cutting lawns too short also means removing the food supply to the grass – and during the warmer summer days, the grass relies on that food to survive and thrive.
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This, in turn, leads to grass having to work harder to produce new food which will subsequently sacrifice the development of roots.
If there aren’t any healthy roots, the lawn will not be able to store any water or obtain nutrients from soil – and this cycle could end with the grass dying.
Not weeding
Removing weeds – something you can do with this effective method that costs absolutely nothing – is a tedious and laborious task no one looks forward to.
However, if you’re amongst those who avoid weeding like the plague, be warned that pesky weeds compete with plants for nutrients and water in the soil.
Positioning plants in the wrong place
Many might not be aware of this but positioning plants in the right place is key to the health of the plant.
With some requiring direct sunlight and others loving more shade, different plants have different needs.
It is also important to be reminded that plants don’t like to be cramped or crowded, so don’t place them too close to each other.
This is because they need air to circulate around them and room for their branches and roots to grow.
Not pruning properly
Although, as avid gardeners will already be aware, pruning is an essential aspect of the hobby, it’s easy to go overboard.
But again, just like with overwatering, anything too much, pruning included, could damage the plant, stunting its growth and making it more vulnerable to diseases.
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Amongst these, as we learnt recently, Xyella, which Brits are warned to be on the lookout for.
When it comes to pruning, ensure there are enough leaves on the plant in the summer months so that the plant can create food and provide shade.
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