Knowing these Time Wasting Garden Activities Not Worth Doing would be great if you’re a busy person but love gardening.
The time used in several tasks in the garden can be utilized in a much more practical way to fulfill necessary gardening chores. Check if you are not wasting your resources and time on these Time Wasting Garden Activities Not Worth Doing.
Check out some clever gardening hacks here
Time Wasting Garden Activities Not Worth Doing
1. Trying to Modify the Basic Nature of Soil
If you live in an area with limestone, the soil would be alkaline. In contrast, gardens close to woods and the low-lying water-logged regions tend to have acidic soil.
It is wise to grow suitable plants according to the soil type rather than wasting time trying to amend the basic nature of a bigger area. Instead, try to grow the plants with different soil requirements in raised beds and pots in order to control the nature of the growing medium.
Too many amendments will also change the nature of the soil, which can be good for a particular plant, but it will render it ineffective for the other specimens in your garden.
In case you want to improve the old potting soil, follow the tips discussed here
2. Tilling the Non-Productive Parts of the garden
Tilling large areas of the garden in order to eliminate weeds and aerate the soil is not worth doing. Limit the activity to the spots where you are rooting the plants to save energy and time.
It also disturbs the diversity of the soil, making it unfit for better plant growth.
3. Growing Annuals More than the Perennials
While growing seasonal plants is essential, there should be moderation if you’re a busy person. As annuals grow super fast, require deadheading, and need to be reseeded every year for a constant show of blooms. Perennials, on the other hand, need lesser care and regrow themselves each season.
Save your time by picking the right perennials for your garden, which should always be more than the annuals.
4. Watering More than Required
Watering the garden can be therapeutic and satisfy our nurturing instincts. However, plants only need water sufficient for hydration, and watering more than required will only attract root rot and other diseases.
The best bet is to water the plants deeply once in several days, depending more on the weather.
Find out the signs of overwatering here
5. Overfeeding the Plants
Overfertilization can increase the salt buildup and burn plant tissues. It is best to feed plants occasionally with diluted fertilizer as per the plants’ needs.
Watch out for particular nutrient deficiencies and feed your plants accordingly instead of wasting time feeding them now and then.
6. Growing Fussy Varieties
Investing your time, energy, and money in varieties that need special care or are not compatible with your area results in time wastage without any productive result.
If you’re new to gardening, always go for the plants that require minimal care and work with the weather conditions of your place or your hectic lifestyle.
7. Engaging in Mindless Season-End Activities
You need not invest in mindless gardening activities such as pulling out the plants after their growing season or picking up the dead leaves from the yard. Leave them to decompose in the soil and utilize that time for some other essential chores in the garden.
8. Growing Vegetables in Complete Shade
Most veggies require full sunlight to reach their true potential in yield and growth. Some may work well in part sun, but they rarely do well in complete shade, and wasting your time caring for them will not result in fruitful results.
Grow the vegetables in an area with a minimum of 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight daily.
9. Dedicating a Time Chunk to Weeding
Another waste of time in the garden is weeding. You can pull out a handful of weeds from here and there, and that should be it.
Do not waste your time weeding the entire garden, especially the space you don’t use. Instead, adding a good layer of mulch to suppress weeds will work in both your and the plants’ favor.
10. Investing in Growing Exotics Not Suitable to the Climate
If you don’t find time from your busy schedule then investing your time and energy trying to grow unsuitable plants for your garden is a sheer waste of time. Instead, go for the plants best suited to your zones and climatic condition.
11. Mowing the Lawn Quite Often
Why waste your time mowing the lawns in short intervals? Doing it once in 8-10 weeks would be more than enough.
Find out the best walkable groundcovers here
12. Digging Deep Ditches for Saplings
It is a common misconception that deeper holes can help the plant anchor much better. But, digging smaller and wider holes compelling the plants to grow roots in all directions and gain more stability is better. The depth of your plants should be similar to previous depth!
So, don’t dig deep. Dig wider!
13. Over Pruning Bushes
Trying to control the shape and size of shrubs and bushes with frequent pruning will only rob off your time and is not of much utility.
Instead, it is better to plant shrubs with a compact growing habit and save much of your time from trimming them.
14. Getting Worried About Pests and Spurlging Money on Pesticides
Pests might pose a big threat to the health of your beloved plants but worrying too much about them and spending big bucks on pesticides is not a good idea.
The best bet is to approach a natural approach like a neem oil solution or insecticidal soap if you have a small garden, you can also grow a trap crop. It will save the ecosystem around you while getting rid of pests in no time.
Check out some effective uses of neem oil in the garden here
15. Wasting Time on Growing Fruit Plants from Seeds
There’s no point wasting time growing fruits from seeds as they will take a lot of time to come into the fruiting stage and even if they come they might not be the same as parent plant.
16. Do Not Waste Time on Healing Plant Wounds After Cutting
If you have trimmed the shrubs and bushes in your garden or have chopped a branch from a tree, don’t waste time getting products that will help heal the wound of the plant/tree.
They will heal on their own, and as the plant matures, their defense system takes care of the wounds by itself, saving them from infections.
