The first time is always the hardest, regardless of the venture. This also applies to gardening!

Here are my top three gardening errors and tips on how to avoid them:

1. Not Following Directions (on plant tags or seed packets)

If you haven’t looked at the plant tags and directions indicated on seed packets, it’s time to change the behavior. I once got too excited and disregarded the recommendations and directions on how to grow my plants.

And, I realized my expensive mistake after the grown plants looked overcrowded and sickly. If you want your plants to grow healthy and have more yields, make sure that you read the directions and follow them all.

2. Having no Plans

When I was starting, I only wanted to plant whenever I had time. I did not mind my garden’s design and layout, and I did not think about the other plants already growing in the garden when I decided what other seedlings to plant.

The result was chaos. I overplanted, resulting in all my plants getting insufficient sun. It wasn’t as fruitful as before, but the experience taught me a lesson.

Since then, I always consider everything before planting. They include where the sun usually shines, available water supplies, the windy areas in my garden, and the other plants in it.

3. Having a Habit of Watering Plants from Above

I mean, it’s okay to water your plants from above occasionally, but don’t rely on it too often. Why? You run the risk of introducing pests and foliage diseases.

What you can do is install soaker hoses or drip irrigation in your garden. I created an automatic timer drip system, which has helped me save time and water.