Now that the gardening season is in full swing, so is the bad advice. There is no shortage of social media “experts” doling out “genius gardening hacks,” and well-intended friends who, frankly, don’t know what they’re talking about.
Their tips might sound brilliant on the surface, but dig deeper and you’ll find many belong in the compost pile.
kAmw6C6 2C6 D@>6 4@>>@? >JE9D 2?5 >:D4@?46AE:@?D E92E >:89E D66> E@ >2<6 D6?D6 3FE 42? CF:? J@FC 82C56? 2?5 H2DE6 >@?6J]k^Am
k9amq25 25G:46i &D6 G:?682C 2D 2 VD276 2?5 ?2EFC2=V H665<:==6Ck^9am
kAmw@FD69@=5 G:?682C >6C6=J D6CG6D 2D 2 4@?E24E 96C3:4:56 E92E 3FC?D =62G6D H:E9@FE <:==:?8 C@@ED[ D@ E96 H665D @7E6? 8C@H 324<] w@CE:4F=EFC2= G:?682C[ H9:49 92D 2 DEC@?86C 4@?46?EC2E:@? @7 246E:4 24:5[ 😀 >@C6 67764E:G6 3FE 42? 52>286 D@:=[ 92C> ?62C3J A=2?ED[ 2?5 >FDE 36 FD65 H:E9 42FE:@? WH62C 8=@G6D 2?5 8@88=6DX E@ 2G@:5 :?;FCJ E@ D<:? 2?5 6J6D]k^Am
kAmx?DE625i |2?F2==J AF== H665D 7C@> 82C56? 365D[ E96? 4@G6C E96 D@:= H:E9 b\c :?496D @7 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^82C56?:?8\>F=49\EC66D\74b752gaff3f632ha6dagd26`d4h7e_fQm@C82?:4 >F=49k^2m E@ 5:D4@FC286 >@C6 7C@> E2<:?8 9@=5] p?J E92E 5@ 86C>:?2E6 😕 E96 >F=49 H:== AF== FA G6CJ 62D:=J]k^Am
kAm%@ 6=:>:?2E6 D>2== H665D 7C@> 4C246E9@5D :?4=F56 FD:?8 2 4C6G:46 H665:?8 E@@= @C E2C86E65 AC@A2?6 7=2>6 E@@= E@ C6>@G6 @C 56DEC@J E96 H665D] t:E96C H2J[ 7:== 4C24
k9amq25 25G:46i pAA=J H@F?5 A2:?E E@ D62= 4FED @? ACF?65 EC66 =:>3Dk^9am
kAm%C66D 4@>A2CE>6?E2=:K6 E96:C H@F?5D[ D@ D62=2?ED 2C6?’E 86?6C2==J ?646DD2CJ] x? 255:E:@?[ E96 AC@5F4ED 42? EC2A >@:DEFC6 2?5 5:D62D6\42FD:?8 A2E9@86?D 2?5 6?4@FC286 5642J[ 56762E:?8 E96:C DE2E65 AFCA@D6 H9:=6 :?E6C76C:?8 H:E9 E96 EC66’D ?2EFC2= 962=:?8 AC@46DD] {:89E D62=2?ED D9@F=5 36 2AA=:65 @?=J E@ 6=> @C @2< EC66D E92E 2C6 ACF?65 @C :?;FC65 5FC:?8 E96 8C@H:?8 D62D@? E@ 5:D4@FC286 sFE49 6=> 5:D62D6 2?5 @2< H:=E[ C6DA64E:G6=J] $62=2?ED 2C6?VE ?646DD2CJ H96? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^fdh`bb73476ec7ffg2e3h`36e6h`dbd3QmACF?:?8k^2m E96D6 EC66D 2E E96 C64@>>6?565 W5@C>2?EX E:>6 @7 J62C]k^Am
kAmx?DE625i q6 DFC6 E@ FD6 AC@A6C ACF?:?8 E649?:BF6D[ ACF?6 @?=J 2E E96 2AAC@AC:2E6 E:>6 @7 J62C 2?5 2==@H H@F?5D E@ 962= @? E96:C @H?]k^Am
k9amq25 25G:46i %:== 82C56? 365D 6G6CJ J62C E@ =@@D6? E96 D@:=k^9am
kAm$FC6[ :E >2<6D E96 82C56? =@@< ?:46 2?5 ?62E[ 3FE k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^?2>`a]D276=:?^nFC=l9EEADTbpTauTau2A?6HD]4@>Tau2CE:4=6Tau962=E9J\D@:=\E6DE:?8\4@>A@DE\A9\6gf_ga_3f6326b6_gd263dfe4ahb6d36U2>Aj52E2l_dTfr_aTfr;CF3:?Tc_2A]@C8Tfrc5`b3`ch6fd5cc4_cfdg_g563`65c2d5Tfr6cca6`2375e3c32b237b3_a_63d_57bfTfr`Tfr_Tfrebh`cbgahgh_ggffhgTfr&?@H?Tfr%(uA3v+D3b5g6Jyu3)q_6&`94v<:~?#J5(&Dx=*:~:xH{;pF|spH|rxDx=p:~:y)2(cK|:xDxAjD52E2lhxgTaq|@}{)+(h#tI_=4TauB(F=_(x#xba{wvy|7q6$C%!tTbsU2>AjC6D6CG65l_Qm@G6C\E:==:?8 D@:=k^2m 56DEC@JD 36?67:4:2= >:4C@36D[ <:==D 62CE9H@C>D[ 5:DCFAED >J4@CC9:K2= 7F?8: ?6EH@C286D D@:= DECF4EFC6[ :?4C62D6D 6C@D:@? 2?5 >@G6D 3FC:65 H665 D665D E@ E96 DFC7246[ H96C6 4@?5:E:@?D 2C6 A6C764E 7@C E96> E@ DAC@FE] %96 AC24E:46 42? 2=D@ :?E6C76C6 H:E9 E96 D@:=’D >@:DEFC6\9@=5:?8 42A24:EJ]k^Am
kAmx?DE625i x? 2G6C286 4@?5:E:@?D[ DAC625 2 a\ E@ b\:?49 =2J6C @7 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^4@>A@DE:?8Qm4@>A@DEk^2m @G6C 82C56? 365D 2?5 =6E :E H@C< :?E@ E96 D@:= @G6C E:>6]k^Am
kAm%@ 4C62E6 ?6H 365D[ 4@G6C E96 2C62 H:E9 E9:4< =2J6CD @7 ?6HDA2A6C @C 4@CCF82E65 42C53@2C5 😕 E96 72==[ E96? E@A :E H:E9 2 76H :?496D @7 >F=49 @C 4@>A@DE[ 2?5 2==@H :E E@ D>@E96C 8C2DD 2?5 H665D @G6C E96 H:?E6C 2?5 :?E@ DAC:?8] x7 J@F 5:5?’E A=2? 29625[ =2J 42C53@2C5 ?@H[ E96? 4FE 9@=6D 2?5 A=2?E C:89E E9C@F89 :E] q6 DFC6 E@ 2AA=J >F=49 27E6CH2C5]k^Am
kAmx7 J@F >FDE EFC? E96 D@:= E@ 3C62< FA 4@>A24E:@? 😕 J@FC 82C56?[ 5@ D@ 86?E=J FD:?8 2 3C@257@C< @C =@?8\92?5=65 82C56? 7@C<] &D6 E96 D2>6 E@@=D E@ 86?E=J H@C< 😕 2>6?5>6?ED =:<6 4@>A@DE]k^Am
k9amq25 25G:46i (2E6C A=2?ED =:89E=J 6G6CJ 52Jk^9am
kAmv:G:?8 9@FD6A=2?ED[ 82C56? A=2?ED[ A@EE65 @FE5@@C A=2?ED @C E96 =2H? 2 DAC:?<=6 6G6CJ 52J >@:DE6?D E96 D@:= DFC7246 @?=J @? :ED DFC7246 :?DE625 @7 2E C@@E\56AE9[ H96C6 :E’D ?66565] {:89E=J H2E6C65 A=2?E C@@ED C6>2:? 2E E96 E@A[ ?62C E96:C H2E6C DFAA=J[ :?DE625 @7 8C@H:?8 5@H?H2C5 2?5 @FEH2C5]k^Am
kAmx?DE625i (2E6C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^82C56?:?8\D2G6\H2E6C\A=2?ED\6356e26bd`6bg4_4`gg62hcad__g`444Qm>@C6 566A=J 2?5 =6DD 7C6BF6?E=Jk^2m E@ 6?4@FC286 2 =2C86C C@@E DJDE6> E92E H:== H:E9DE2?5 5C@F89E 3J 2446DD:?8 72CE96C >@:DEFC6 D@FC46D 7C@> E96 DFCC@F?5:?8 2C62]k^Am
k9amq25 25G:46i &D6 =2?5D42A6 723C:4 F?56C 82C56? 365D E@ 5:D4@FC286 H665Dk^9am
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^82C56?:?8\=2?5D42A6\723C:4\g6hbae7gh`_g74beheh_a5h4`7a47a76Qmq2CC:6C 723C:4Dk^2m 72:= E@ DE@A H665D =@?8\E6C>[ 4C62E6 C@@E\E2?8=65 >6DD6D[ C6DEC:4E E96 7=@H @7 H2E6C 2?5 @IJ86?[ 2?5 :?EC@5F46 >:4C@A=2DE:4D :?E@ E96 D@:= 2D E96J 568C256]k^Am
kAmx?DE625i pAA=J 2 a\E@\c\:?49 =2J6C @7 @C82?:4 >F=49[ DF49 2D D9C65565 32C<[ H@@5 49:AD @C DEC2H[ @G6C E96 D@:=[ AFD9:?8 :E 2H2J 7C@> ECF?D] #67C6D9 :E 2D :E 3C62A6C2EFC6 2?5 >@:DEFC6[ ?@FC:D9 E96 D@:= 2D :E 564@>A@D6D 2?5 DFAA@CE E96 D@:= =:76 E92E DFAA@CED J@FC A=2?EDk^Am
kAmtI46AE:@?i {2?5D42A6 723C:4 42? 36 96=A7F= F?56C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^?2>`a]D276=:?^nFC=l9EEADTbpTauTau2A?6HD]4@>Tau2CE:4=6Tau8C2G6=\82C56?:?8\>F=49\H:=57:C6D\5C@F89EE@=6C2?E\5d2de2da542d763fb7555d_434c4b7f`U2>Aj52E2l_dTfr_aTfr;CF3:?Tc_2A]@C8Tfrc5`b3`ch6fd5cc4_cfdg_g563`65c2d5Tfr6cca6`2375e3c32b237b3_a_63d_57bfTfr`Tfr_Tfrebh`cbgahgh_hbhhfeTfr&?@H?Tfr%(uA3v+D3b5g6Jyu3)q_6&`94v<:~?#J5(&Dx=*:~:xH{;pF|spH|rxDx=p:~:y)2(cK|:xDxAjD52E2l37f4!fxv59u!Ce~I#g(sexz*qaAq!@Tau4:Ed?~{bJbCgTbsU2>AjC6D6CG65l_Qm8C2G6= @C DE@?6 A2E9Dk^2m[ @C F?56C H2=
k9C ^m
kAmy6DD:42 s2>:2?@ HC:E6D C68F=2C 82C56?:?8 4@=F>?D 7@C %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD] $96 AF3=:D96D E96 2H2C5\H:??:?8 (66<=J s:CE }6HD=6EE6C] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^;6DD:4252>:2?@]DF3DE24<]4@>^Qm$:8? FA 96C6k^2m 7@C H66<=J 82C56?:?8 E:AD 2?5 25G:46]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmu@C >@C6 p! 82C56?:?8 DE@C:6D[ 8@ E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^82C56?:?8Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^82C56?:?8k^2m]k^Am
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Comments are closed.