AN expert gardener has revealed the common mistakes many beginners make.
A pro tip helps novices save money and avoid falling for the commercial industry’s advertising.
Gary Pilarchik (@therustedgarden), a gardening YouTuber and author of The Modern Homestead Garden, shared the advice with The U.S. Sun.
He explained that issues he sees often with people just getting started are overplanting crops and underwatering.
He said overzealous gardeners often have no clue that they’re getting in over their heads until it’s too late.
“Over-planting can lead to plants that don’t get eaten or tended, and they become a breeding ground for pests and diseases,” Pilarchik said.
“A garden should have a balance where it is producing but also being eaten. Growing six collard plants when your household can only eat two or three leaves three plants (excess leaves) for whiteflies to move in and infest the plants.”
Having the right materials and prep can help prevent over-watering.
“There is a fear that plants are easily over-watered. Containers should have drainage holes, and earth beds naturally drain,” he advised.
“Plants need moist soil to move nutrients through their root systems. A garden should be watered at least three times a week and more often in the heat of summer,” he added.
“Trying to grow plants with a garden space that gets less than eight hours of direct sun can be a challenge.
“Not picking the right space on a property that gets eight-plus hours of sun is often a mistake new gardeners make.”
For those with adequate space in their home, Pilarchik recommends prioritizing a compost pen before building a garden.
“A garden needs organic matter to thrive, and nothing beats homemade compost on cost and value to the garden,” he explained.
To add nutrients to the soil, the gardener also opts for water-soluble organic fertilizer that’s rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which he notes “is great for watering in transplants and helping struggling plants along.”
“Starting a compost pile is important because it is free. A large amount of money is spent on buying organic fertilizers,” Pilarchik said.
Gary Pilarchik of The Rusted Garden shared his affordable techniques to keep weeds and pests under control.
“One great way to manage weeds in garden paths and beds being put to rest for the winter is to lay down a layer of cardboard along the path and mulch over it,” he said.
“It will keep the weeds at bay. Cardboard on a growing bed will decay and break down over the winter.
“The worms enjoy the cardboard. You can cover the cardboard in beds with grass clippings, leaves, and other organic matter. It will be used by the soil life and improve the garden beds.”
While fighting pests will be a constant uphill battle, Pilarchik explained that the best form of damage control is consistent spraying.
“Spraying on a routine is key, like every 2 weeks, but before you can spray, you have to learn what comes to your garden,” he said.
“Take notes and learn when pests show up, and start spraying immediately to manage them.
“The following year, use your notes and start spraying 2-3 weeks early, and you will prevent infestations and problems from showing up in your garden.
“The other thing to do is plant flowers that attract beneficial insects like ladybugs and predatory wasps. They will help manage problematic insects by eating them.”
“The commercial industry preys upon new gardeners with fancy organic fertilizer packing and lots of words. Ignore them.
“The base ingredients are pretty much the same. Chicken manure, blood meal, bone meal, feather meal, alfalfa meal, and kelp are examples.
“The different bagged fertilizers all do the same exact thing.”
The expert recommends that gardeners shop smart by reading fertilizer ingredient lists to pick the cheapest fertilizer by the pound that contains nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
“The other thing to be aware of is you just need a bag of ‘anything.’ You will see tomato fertilizer, pepper fertilizer, citrus fertilizer, leafy green fertilizer, bloom fertilizer, vegetable fertilizer, and fruit & berry fertilizers,” he added.
“It is true the amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium vary, but those numbers really don’t matter for home garden use.
“You don’t need specialized fertilizers for your plants. Buy one bag of whichever one is the cheapest and use it for all your fruits and vegetables.”
Other DIY projects that come in handy, Pilarchik added, are garden trellises and homemade sprays.
“Old closet racks, wire shelving, kennels, and more can be turned into trellises for growing vertically in gardens. I make most of my sprays,” he said.
“Learning how to make a neem oil spray for chewing insects, soapy water spray for soft-bodied insects, baking soda spray for fungal issues, and a peppermint oil spray as an insect repellant not only are effective but save a gardener a lot of money.
“All these recipes can be found on my YouTube channel: The Rusted Garden.”
