15 Beginner Gardening Mistakes That Nobody Talks About

If you're thinking about starting a garden and you’ve only got time to watch one video on YouTube today, it has to be this one. I’m going to share 15 of the most common beginner gardener mistakes that just about every single beginner gardener makes but nobody talks about.

How do I know about these mistakes then? Because I personally have made them all, and over the last 10 years, I’ve watched so many of my students and clients make the exact same mistakes. By the end of this video, you’ll know WHAT NOT TO DO so you can save yourself a ton of time, money, and frustration.

In this video:

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:34 Mistake 1
01:15 Mistake 2
02:02 Mistake 3
02:41 Mistake 4
03:32 Mistake 5
04:06 Mistake 6
04:50 Mistake 7
05:33 Mistake 8
06:46 Mistake 9
07:37 Mistake 10
08:21 Mistake 11
09:03 Mistake 12
09:41 Mistake 13
10:15 Mistake 14
10:54 Mistake 15

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[Azurta]

I would disagree with some aspects from this video. We started our first garden here in cold England back in 2020 which my husband called “the coldest Summer of all”. Not much of sunshine, too much rain. Still, we were determined. Our garden was tiny, about 6x6 meters. No room for raised beds. Everything was planted in grow bags. We even practiced vertical gardening hanging baskets with leafy stuff on the fence. The result? Tons of tomatoes and cucumbers, enough to have fresh produce till cold weather, and enough to share with our lovely neighbours. I planted 3 plants in each grow bag which was a crime 🤣 but they survived. Potatoes were planted in Ikea shopping bags 😂 and we had plenty of spuds for every Sunday roast. So dear gardeners, trust your guts, love your plants and enjoy your harvest! 💕🇬🇧

[jnorfleet]

I think growing in pots is a good way to learn the basics. From deficiencies to watering, your plants will tell you what they need. Being isolated in pots is good for experimenting with and learning from without killing off a whole crop - mistakes are easier to contain and adjust for. But that's just me.

[jMichaels]

I started learning with tomatoes- they are by far the easiest (for me at least), and could only plant stuff in pots because I was in a rental. I had no difficulties with them. And if I accidentally put a plant in the wrong amount of shade/sun while i was learning I could just move the pot which was great!

[smb-zfbd]

I've had a garden for 30 years and it's expanded from "marigolds around the pool" to over a hundred varieties of veggies and flowers. Trying to emulate YT gardeners (whose job is creating beautiful, bountiful areas) is big. My type gardening (mixing flowers and veggies) came about when my 3-year old granddaughter "helped" one year by dumping every seed packet into her pail. We planted and had garlic, cosmos tomatoes and basil side by side, pumpkin, okra, nasturtium, and leeks exploding. As crazy as it sounds, it was the most bountiful and problem free (disease, pests, varmints) I've ever had. We trapped little critters and carried them to the woods (for them to return - lol)

Soil is by far the most important component. I can't get over folks who spend hundreds (thousands in our area) on elaborate seed starting equipment, mini green houses, costly raised beds, expensive "special" bags of soil, costly irrigation, mulch, etc Of course it still doesn't come close to the YT gardens. Great video, great advice. Good Luck....I'm giving your book to my daughter-in-law who wants a garden.

[saucywench]

I don't think I've ever thought to myself "maybe I have too many seeds". I've got em all over the place. Fun fact: the FDA has decided that seeds should now have an annual expiration date and I work at a hardware store so all my seed is free every November when the hardware store throws them out. Anything Burpee has on offer is there almost, even cold crops. As for soil, occasionally I get a pot or two that becomes anaerobic and naturally I recycle the stinky stuff, I don't even normally have to add much to it for compost. Stuff grows so good in it.

[Vivienwestphal]

Hello! I love your channel. However, I started my very first container garden with just tomatoes and chilli peppers . IN NORWAY 😂 I probably couldn't have picked harder crops if I tried😂 it was a great success because those were the crops I was excited about! I'm still going strong, 3 seasons later😊❤

[tfeller]

We are beginner gardeners and a huge mistake I made last year was purchasing a double unit that could be two shorter beds or one taller one stacked. Still getting used to medical issues, as well as getting older, I fell a few times and was badly injured. Also, some things did not grow very well.

This year, I have stacked them and am using what I learned to do better. Learning and moving forward is key. Nobody knows everything, and we can all learn from each other. Loving your videos and information!

[GartenchaosGemuesegarten]

I started with tomatos in containers on my balcony. They are not too hard, so I cannot agree on that point. This year, I am expanding my gardening space to 100 m^2 😊

[etiennelouw]

I started by digging out the tough Kikuyu grass and putting in cement slab barriers to form a veggie patch in August 2021, in my back yard at the end of our winter in Cape Town, South Africa. Since then I have expanded the veggie garden, now many patches. I am still expanding the different stuff I can grow as I learn. I started a food forest in my front yard as well, now it is a hot summer here, and lot of stuff is going to seed, but I catch them and they grow better than bought seeds. I also plant stuff in places I don't own, eco terrorist at your service.

[kittygriggs]

My first garden was 40 ft x 15 ft (had no experience at all!) was totally organic, no commercial fertilizer, no pesticides. All the locals told me I would only be able to grow tomatoes & zucchini. We had so much of so many vegs & fruits, I had to give a lot away!!!

[fredalackenspeil]

I think tomatoes are super easy to grow!

[johnnyalegria]

I love mistake 7. I love checking on changes in my garden! Sometimes positive sometimes negative. But let me tell you when you find aphids on your brassicas good thing you found the negative! Catch early and you can save them! Enjoying your book “Leaves, roots and fruit. I leave on coffee table and great way to show gorgeous pictures to company who are interested in gardening. Love from San Diego.

[nnagle]

The grocery stores cull vegetables to make them look like our expectations. When you grow it, you will see that the "irregulars" taste good and are fun to see.

[jaruwangehrig]

I agree with you 100%, planing first then shopping so you won’t get overwhelmed and frustrated.

[edwardaldridge]

I started with tomatoes and I did just fine

[Growsloww]

I have actually found the opposite, I started in containers and did really well, but now I plant things directly in the ground in my allotment and it doesn’t do so well 😩 raised beds I have done and work well so I’m sticking with those this first full year 😊

[reddirtgreenthumb]

Awesome video Nicole! As a ‘Gardenary Certified’ Garden Consultant/Coach in Oklahoma I can vouch for all of this great advice -especially seeking help from a LOCAL Garden consultant in your area! This alone can save you thousands of dollars and lots of frustration.

[baldguyadventure]

I started gardening years ago and the first thing I did was start tomatoes from seed. It’s not difficult at all. Buying expensive started tomato plants takes the fun out of it. Even busy people like me can start them from seeds, you’ll learn a ton a long way.

[noctoi]

Haha Number 1. I _kind of_ had a plan before I started my teeny garden, but basically I needed somewhere to plant my tomato seedlings (I gave away a couple dozen seedlings and STILL have about 20 left, don't underestimate how well tomatoes reproduce from being tossed in a pot of soil!!). I guess I broke that "don't start with tomatoes" rule too!!! 🤣

So, I panicked, marched into Bunnings, spent a LOT more than I budgeted for a half dozen tomato plants, found your video, panicked again and ran BACK to bunnings to grab some leafy vegies and root vegies, panicked again...

I'm still panicking because we had a heatwave just after I planted everything and now my poor seedlings are all baking in 38C heat! BUT!! I'm honestly impressed how well they are doing *considering* the heat! I'm definitely losing a few, but I have some backup seedlings to put in once the weather cools down again next week. I've also been in touch with the local 'friendly bug' (beneficial insect) suppliers to get hold of a box of lacewings or ladybirds if needed. Fingers crossed I won't, because the second I planted the beds I noticed ladybirds arriving in the yard, and we have hoverflies in the area already.

Re the soil, Wish I'd thought of this earlier. The potting mix I got wasn't the cheapest, but it certainly wasn't "good". If I want to keep the plants in for the rest of summer, I'm going to have to get some compost/worm castings and probably some live worms to make it viable long term. It's got the strangest (and frankly slimiest) texture when wet. A couple dollars a bag more and I probably wouldn't be cringing every time I touch the soil. 😬


Anyway, just wanted to say thank you!! You're right that there is way too much information online, but your videos took some of the panic away, and I love the idea of just... letting plants live the way they would 'in the wild'. Looking forward to the journey, and even if they all die in this heat I've enjoyed ladybirds for the first time in *decades*, I've learned a LOT about how plants grow, and discovered my thumbs aren't as black as I always assumed they are!

Looking forward to your next video. 💜

[GingerCinderella]

Recently found you and I love your content and style of presentation. Thank you for sharing your gardening info and inspo!!