Top 10 Beginner Gardening Mistakes (and how to fix them)
Starting to grow your own flowers and vegetables can seem daunting at first, but take it from me it’s pretty easy if you are happy with a bit of trial and error. Over the past few years I have certainly experienced some errors, but through those trials I can bring you some advice so you can hopefully avoid making the same beginner gardener mistakes!
1. Planting Too Much, Too Soon
The Mistake: Overfacing yourself with too many things to grow.
The Fix: Pick 3–5 easy, quick-win crops (like radish, lettuce, potatoes, or courgettes). Learn those well, then expand. I also encourage you to pick things that you like to eat - there’s no use in having armfuls of courgettes if you can’t stand them!
2. Not Understanding Your Sunlight
The Mistake: Planting sun-lovers in shade and vice versa.
The Fix: Track your garden or allotment over the course of a few weeks to notice where the sun falls at different times of the day. Use labels like ‘full sun’, ‘partial shade’, or ‘dappled shade’ to guide where to plant.
3. Neglecting Soil Health
The Mistake: Ignoring what’s under your feet.
The Fix: Add compost regularly, use mulch, and test drainage. Happy soil = happy plants! One for the more scientific of you - test the pH of your soil to see what will grow best.
4. Forgetting to Water... or Overwatering!
The Mistake: Letting your plants dry out — or drowning them. Believe me, this is an easy mistake to make (and I’m not sure I’ll ever really get to the bottom of it!)
The Fix: Stick your finger in the soil. If it’s dry 1–2 inches down, water deeply. Water early morning or evening, not midday. My preference is a deep soak in the evening to make sure my plants are set up well for the following day.
5. Skipping Labels or Notes
The Mistake: “What was that again?” Forgetting to label what you plant (particularly if you’re planting a few varieties of a similar crop) can lead to confusion later down the line. Or a fun game of mystery vegetable picking if you’re more of a glass half full person.
The Fix: Label everything! Use garden-safe pens or paint sticks. Bonus tip: if you are planting in a larger space like an allotment, keeping a plot journal to track what is where can be invaluable.
6. Not Giving Plants Enough Space
The Mistake: Crowding seedlings too close together.
The Fix: Follow spacing guidelines on seed packets — they matter more than they seem!
7. Ignoring Weeds Until It’s Too Late
The Mistake: Thinking you’ll deal with the weeds later.
The Fix: Set a weekly 15-min weed check. A little and often approach is far better than trying to clear a jungle later, trust me. I know people who do ‘Weeding Wednesday’ - an easy way to remember to weed weekly.
8. Not Protecting Your Crops
The Mistake: Losing your lettuces to slugs or birds.
The Fix: Use netting or companion planting to deter pests without harsh chemicals.
9. Giving Up After One Fail
The Mistake: Letting one dead tomato plant kill your confidence.
The Fix: Gardening is all about trial and error. In fact that is one of the things I love about it. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Even the pros fail sometimes. Share your journey and learn from it — that’s part of the joy!
10. Thinking You Need Fancy Tools
The Mistake: Spending lots of money on fancy tools that you don’t need (yet).
The Fix: Start with a trowel, gloves, and a watering can. Then your tool collection can grow along with your garden!
If you' found those tips helpful then please follow me @plotandpetals on instagram for seasonal UK gardening tips, honest updates, and beginner wins and flops from my Nottingham garden and allotment.