We need to talk. Yes, I'm talking to you, dear gardening friend who clicked on this article thus revealing a lit-tle bit of a negative inner dialog regarding your gardening skills. Who told you that you weren't gifted at gardening? Oh, did your last garden go to weeds? Have you killed a houseplant? Okay, maybe lots of houseplants? Are you struggling to get your seeds to germinate?
I'm here to tell you that these things don't make you a bad gardener. In fact, every gardener has had one of these experiences at some point or another. In this article, we're going to address some of the common "failures" that cause self-doubt in gardeners, and most importantly, we're going to give some tips on how to overcome these challenges and make gardening successful (and fun again!)
Introduction
Every week, I receive emails from gardeners who are struggling with some aspect of gardening. Maybe they couldn't get their seeds to germinate. Maybe some pest has set upon their garden. Maybe their plants aren't pollinating (and thus producing fruit) as well as they had hoped. These are normal challenges to gardening—nothing unexpected—but what always strikes me is the need for many gardeners to qualify their experience with some disparaging comment about their skills. "I'm not good at growing things." "I can't even keep houseplants alive." "I don't have a green thumb."
Don't get me wrong, humility is a good thing—and gardening affords us many opportunities to humble ourselves. But let's not let that humility morph into a full-blown complex. A failure is just a failure, not evidence that you don't have what it takes to be a great gardener.
After hearing so many of these comments from gardeners, I felt compelled to write this article and dispel some of the myths that have gardeners believing that they can't raise beautiful gardens. So, here we go. Let's slay these self-defeating monsters.
Defeating Myth #1: My gardens always go to weeds
The fight against weeds is a big part of gardening and it's a battle we've all lost at some point or another. Want some evidence? Look no further:
Yep, that big, beautiful, weedy mess of a garden is mine. It was once a melon and squash bed that I had intended to mulch with grass clippings, but as you can probably tell, I failed in my execution of that plan. As result, my garden turned into a tall, weedy jungle. But do you know what? That mess of a garden yielded this:
and these...
and even this...
Look at the smiles on those kids' faces! They didn't care that the garden was a wreck. And I think we could all learn something from their spirit. So long as something good comes of it, who cares how messy things got in the process?
Defeating Myth #2: I can't even keep houseplants alive
This is one of my favorites. Let's face it—taking care of houseplants is hard. At least garden plants can benefit from sunlight, fresh air, beneficial insects (to eat the pests), and the occasional rainfall. Houseplants rely solely on our care for their survival. It's a monumental task that seems doomed for failure.
But let me ask you something: When you purchased that houseplant, were you planning on bequeathing it to your children someday? Chances are, that plant's fate was sealed the moment you pulled it off the shelf—as was the fate of every other plant on the shelf. All plants die sooner or later. Let's choose to just enjoy them for however long they're alive and let the dead ones go. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
I don't have any pictures of my dead houseplants to include here. (I try not to make too much of a habit of photographing my failures). But let's just say that I've killed my share. Most mornings I fill the coffee maker with a partially desiccated jade plant staring at me from literally three feet above the kitchen sink. Could I water it? Sure—but it’s in a hanging pot notorious for leaking, and I’d rather not start my morning with cold water running down my arm. Does this make me a bad gardener? Perhaps to some—but I'm not going to let it get me down.
Defeating Myth #3: I never have success starting from seed
If I may be so bold to offer some general life advice here, be careful about making overreaching statements like this to yourself. Have you really never been able to germinate even a single seed? If so, you probably haven't tried to start very many. Maybe your germination rates haven't been as high as you would like, but that's a common problem, and one that we can fix.
If you generally struggle to get your seeds started, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you're overwatering them. In my experience dealing with hundreds of gardeners, the most common problems arise from over-nurturing rather than neglect. We're going to go into a little more detail on this in the tips section, but for now, just know that this is a common problem, not the mark of failure.
Defeating Myth #4: I don't have a green thumb
Honestly, what does it even mean to have a green thumb? Sure, I have green thumbs. They're green from pulling waist-high weeds from my vegetable garden. This self-labeling usually comes from a combination of the myths already discussed. Just to reiterate, your failures don't define you as a gardener. They're just experiences.
Tips for Gardening Success
Okay, with those myths dispelled, it's time to start thinking about your next garden and how to make it a success. I know you want to garden, or else you wouldn't be poking around here (welcome, by the way!) So, let's put together some ideas on how to make this year's garden both enjoyable and bountiful.
1. Wipe the slate clean
For as brutal as our Iowa winters are, they have one redeeming quality: the hard freezes and heavy snowfalls of winter are great for eliminating the evidence of last year's weedy garden. Every spring is a chance to start over. I don't want to get all Jesus-y on you, but the concept of having all of one's past failures washed away sure is a powerful one. How freeing it is to know that we get a do-over!
Well, the same is true for gardening. Whether you live in a climate where nature cleans the slate for you, or you have to do that clearing yourself, I encourage you to forget about what happened last year. Start each spring with a renewed optimism and excitement for what the new gardening season will bring.
2. Start small
Starting too big of a garden is a common cause for burnout, and therefore "failed" gardens. It's easy to get caught up in all of those beautiful vegetable pictures, especially in the depths of winter, but big gardens require a lot of work, and they don't always yield more than small ones (if, for example, they get out of control). As hard as it may be, try to be realistic in terms of the space and time you have available for gardening. A smaller garden just might yield bigger blessings.
3. Notch a quick win
If you're insecure about your gardening skills or just new to gardening, I'd encourage you to start the season with something quick and easy. Radishes are a great option for this. They're easy to start and they mature quickly. Within 3 to 4 weeks, you'll be able chalk up your first victory—a success that will keep you motivated to keep up the work. Fast-growing greens like arugula and mustard are well-suited to this purpose as well.
3. Don't overcomplicate it
The internet abounds with all sorts of gardening tips. Use fish emulsion on your seedlings, crunch up eggshells around your tomatoes, trellis and prune your cucumbers for maximum yields. Everyone has their own way of doing things and it seems the algorithm pays nice rewards to those offering something new and exciting. Afterall, who wants to read an article that says to plant the seeds, water them, and walk away? It may not be sensational, but in many cases, this really is the best approach.
4. Love just a little
"I don't know why my seeds won't germinate—I've been watering them every day." I can't tell you how many of my conversations with customers begin this way. As gently and sweetly as possible, I explain that the problem most likely is... they've been watering them every day. But not to worry. All of our seeds are guaranteed, even when user error is suspected. In fact, we're happy to send replacements. I just can't bear the thought of someone's experience ending this way.
Back to the subject—seeds need moisture, but they don't like to be wet, and they especially loath being cold and wet. This is especially true for heat-loving plants like peppers and eggplants, but it is generally the case for all seeds. Watering cools the soil, creates a hypoxic (low oxygen) environment, and invites fungus and mold growth. Although well-meaning, too much of it is a recipe for disaster.
I like to think of my seeds as sleeping babies. Once you put them to bed, it's best not to go bothering them. Once they wake (i.e. breach the soil surface) you can water them and tend to their other needs, but until then, leave them be. If a seed has a particularly long germination period, like peppers for example, try using a humidity dome to reduce or eliminate the need for watering during germination.
By the way, never fertilize before germination has occurred. Seeds have all the nutrients they need to get started, right there inside the seed itself. How cool is that?! Any fertilizer you add this early will just get used by algae and fungi.
Conclusions
So, there you have it, a little encouragement for those weary gardeners brought down by their perceived failures in gardening. You aren't alone. Have faith and know that this year brings a fresh start! Besides, ultimately, what does it matter if you fail? It's just you, your plants and God out there. Your plants don't care one way or another—they're plants. And God already knows you're not perfect, and yet He loves you dearly anyway. Oops—and I said I wasn't going to get all preachy. My bad (wink, wink.)
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