5 tips for begginers

Every year I cant help myself!

 

So don`t ask me.

 

Know your soil, its type....heavy clay, sandy, etc......and its ph.
Grow only what suits your soil, climate and conditions

 

shiney I was netting it at the time because a garden forum never entered my head until last year loving the garden like I do and since joining i've had some great advice / Id's on my plants / besides nice plants throwed my way to buy otherwise

 

Good idea for a thread. I've been gardening for over 40 years. This is a selection of mistakes I made as a beginner and would do for five tips for someone new to gardening.

1) Don't sow seeds too early. It can be tempting in your enthusium, especially as a new gardener, but if it's too cold and wet they will just rot. Wait for spring.
2) If you have clay soil stay off it when it is wet; wait til it dries out enough without compacting before trying to work it.
3) Get to know your soil and aim to grow things which will do well in your conditions. For example don't try to grow light land plants in heavy clay.
4) Don't do too much digging at once; you will only hurt your back.
5) Enjoy your gardening and if you are not enjoying it stop and rest and come back to whatever the task, refreshed.

 

I've had a think about no2 on the list, after premature planting of annuals, I was going to say get your plant stakes/supports in well before you think you need to.
Having read what @Redwing posted, I think my no2 should be her no5 Hope that makes sense

 

Loki make up your mind mate ...it's not hard to put them in order

 

Old gardeners' advice is best my grandma taught me when I was little and my gt grandad taught her. Weve still got his tools we use too. ❤️

 

I have bought plants and re potted them in soil from the garden. If they take, I plant them out. If not, I throw them away.

G.

 

1 - For seed planting ,read the instructions
2 - Follow them .

Plants are quite tolerant of positions . Most new plants say "full sun" . Now only gardeners with a roof garden will get full sun all day ! Most plants will be OK in a light shade position.

 

Agreed.
But then set about ignoring it at the earliest opportunity. If it's easy it ain't worth the effort!

The most sage advice of all. Leave Salvia, Lobelia and anything else that is borderline till the spring. If a plant is hollow stemmed water seeps down the exposed wreckage and can rot the plant from the inside out over the winter.

Which is fine if you grow fully hardy plants or don't mind spending loads of moolah the following year. I've given up giving my sister interesting stuff as she's a clean freak, cuts it all back in the autumn then bellyaches cos mine comes back and hers didn't!

As a mere whippersnapper all that I can say is pah, what do old people know

So true, just not my sister though

On a similar theme my top tip is to grow as much as you can from seed.
It's cheaper, there is so much more choice on t'interweb and it means that you can afford to experiment. And it is more satisfying as it's more like proper gardening. Some things take longer to bloom (seven years is my record) but it's all your own work.