Everyone makes mistakes. In gardening, mistakes generally occur due to a lack of knowledge (or sometimes bad advice). Procrastination and cutting corners can also be issues.
Even knowledgeable, experienced gardeners make errors. Goodness knows I’ve made plenty myself, so here’s my list of the most common mistakes and how to avoid them.
The LSU AgCenter’s 2025 “Get It Growing” calendar is great way to keep track of what to plant and when.
Photo by Glenda Balliviero.
Not understanding our climate
We have a year-round planting and growing season here. Our mild winters allow us to grow beds of colorful flowers, flavorful herbs and delicious vegetables year-round. This has a profound effect on how we garden.
Our gardening year is divided into the warm season, which runs from April/May to September/October, and the cool season, which runs from September/October to April/May.
In flower and food gardens, distinctively different bedding plants and vegetables are grown in the two seasons. Understanding this allows gardeners to make sure they are planting the right bedding plants, herbs and vegetables at the right time. Plant a cool-season vegetable in June and you will be disappointed.
Another common mistake related to our mild climate is waiting until spring or summer to plant hardy trees, shrubs, ground covers and vines. While fall – November through mid-December — is considered ideal, the recommended planting season for hardy landscape plants is November to March. After that, the later you plant the harder it is on the new plantings.
To avoid overwatering containe plants, touch the potting mix to see if it feels dry. If it does, go ahead and water. If the potting mix feels moist, you do not need to water.
LSU AgCENTER PHOTO BY RANDY LaBAUVE
Watering improperly
A common mistake is watering when it is not needed. During periods when it is raining every seven to 10 days, established landscape plants such as lawns, trees, shrubs and ground covers do not need supplemental irrigation – even in the torrid heat of summer. Flowerbeds and vegetable gardens tend to need the most irrigation, as well as any plants growing outside in containers, so do keep an eye on them.
Make sure the landscape needs water before irrigating. Use a trowel to dig down into the soil of a bed in several locations to check moisture. Do not water if the soil still feels slightly damp and the plants look good. Turn off irrigation systems when we are getting adequate rainfall. Excessive watering encourages root rot.
It is better to water deeply and thoroughly occasionally than to water lightly frequently. Deeper watering encourages a deep root system able to better access moisture well below the soil surface. Frequent light watering promotes a shallow root system near the surface that is more prone to drought.
Test your soil to see what kind of fertilizer your beds need.
LSU AgCENTER PHOTO BY RANDY LaBAUVE
Choosing the wrong fertilizers
We don’t feed our plants when we fertilize. Plants consume light as their source of energy, and with it they create the food they need from air and water. All we provide with fertilizers are some of the essential elements plants need to be healthy — such as nitrogen, calcium, sulfur, potassium and others.
Compare fertilizers for plants to vitamin or mineral supplements for people. These pills are not our food, but we may need to take them to be healthy. And just as taking excessive vitamin or mineral supplements can be harmful, too much fertilizer can be harmful to plants.
Despite the large number of fertilizers you may see available for myriad plants, you do not need to purchase a separate fertilizer for the different plants you grow. All plants use the same basic essential elements.
Have a soil test done by contacting your parish LSU AgCenter Extension office to see what your soil is lacking. Choose fertilizers that supplement the minerals that are in short supply. That is a better way to pick a fertilizer for your plants.
Poor bed prep or planting techniques
How well plants do after planting has a lot to do with how beds are prepared and how the plants are planted into the ground.
When preparing a bed for planting, dig down about eight inches when tilling the soil. Then, thoroughly incorporate two to four inches of compost, composted soil conditioner and/or manure into the eight inches of tilled soil. The goal is for the bed to be about 8 inches higher than the surrounding soil when finished to ensure good drainage.
Don’t make the mistake of planting trees and shrubs too deep. The top of the rootball should be even with or slightly above the surrounding soil. And make sure to space bedding plants, vegetables and shrubs properly when planting.
Ladybugs help control aphids in the garden.
Pixabay Photo
Other common mistakesFailing to identifying pests (insects, diseases or weeds) before taking action to control them. Identifying the pest is critical to determining the most effective control.
Not reading the entire label of an insecticide, fungicide or herbicide before purchasing it. You must make sure the product is labeled for how you intend to use it and the pests it controls. Not researching plants before planting them in the landscape. In particular, not knowing the mature size and preferred growing conditions
Skipping the mulch. Mulch is our first defense against weeds and makes our landscapes look neat and finished. Mulches also reduce the need to water and fertilize plants and moderate soil temperatures.Lax weed control. It takes persistent, repeated efforts to deal with any weed issue. Don’t relax until effective control has been achieved, then continue to do what it takes to maintain control.