Beginner Gardening Mistakes I Made And Learned From
When I started growing my own vegetables I often felt unsure. Wondering if I am doing it right and if things are ‘normal’. Gardening is full of trial and error, and that’s part of the charm. In this post, I’m sharing a few beginners mistakes I’ve made, what I’ve learned from them, and how I’ve adjusted over time.
Choosing and Saving on Soil
Soil is probably one of the most important parts of gardening, and it can be difficult to navigate when starting out. In my post talking about beginner tips, I recommend keeping it simple—and while that’s still true, there are a few things I learned from my mistakes.
When I started gardening, I quickly realized how expensive it could get. Bags of soil add up fast. So, I tried to keep costs low, including for seed starting. But the wrong soil can delay or even prevent germination. While I still believe you don’t need to invest a lot, it can be worth buying a good-quality organic seed-starting mix. These mixes are designed specifically for seedlings, with a texture that allows for good water retention but also drainage. They usually contain a lower level of nutrients to avoid “burning” delicate seedlings but still give them something once germinated. Buying a mix can be easier than getting all the components and finding the right balance in a DIY mix. Also, for starting seeds the quantity of soil needed is much lower than filling up garden beds. Starting out with healthy and well established seedlings can set you up for success.
That said, I often use potting soil that has good drainage (it shouldn’t clump together densely) and remove any large debris, I’ve even sifted it. This helps that the tiny seeds don’t get lost in the soil and fall too deep but also helps with letting the delicate germs find their way out and not get blocked.
For garden beds, it’s a similar story. As much as I’d love to fill raised beds with fresh compost and potting mix, it’s expensive and also produces a lot of plastic waste. Instead, I fill the bottom half with logs and leaves from around the garden. Grass cuttings will also work amazingly. I’ve even done this in-ground because my natural soil is just sand—nothing grows in it. So, I dig up the sand, mix in leaves, and top it with compost. Since I live close to the beach where kelp washes up, I’ve even added that to my beds.
This approach may take time for all the components to break down and to fully improve the soil by making the nutrients available for the plants, but it allows you to start growing with minimal financial input.
Watering: Too Much or Too Little?
It’s often said that beginners tend to overwater their plants—and I definitely did. But I’ve also underwatered them, which can stress them out just as much.
In my area, it rarely rains during summer, and I don’t have an irrigation system in place. This means I have to be there to water at least every other day, which isn’t always possible. On the other hand, especially when plants are young, it’s easy to “over-care” for them and accidentally drown them.
Setting up an irrigation system is one way to help, but again, costs can be a barrier. Over time, I’ve learned to accept that not every plant will thrive. If a plant has been stressed too much, sometimes it’s best to let it go and give the spot to another.
When watering, I rely on feeling the soil—not just the top layer, which often dries out quickly, but deeper down where the roots are. Mulching can also help retaining moisture and preventing water stress.
Proper Plant Spacing Matters
Spacing is another tricky part to learn in the beginning as a gardener. When sowing seeds or planting seedlings, it’s hard to imagine how much room they’ll need once mature. Personally, the spacing guidelines on seed packets often feel outrageous. If I followed them strictly, I could barely plant anything.
What works better for me is visualizing the size of a full-grown plant and spacing accordingly. For example, a beetroot might grow to about the size of a fist, so I leave at least a few centimeters between them—about 15–20 cm between seeds. But for tomatoes or broccoli, this gets trickier. It often comes down to trial and error. Looking up photos of mature plants also helps, especially since spacing can vary between tomato varieties (determinate vs. indeterminate).
Climate plays an important role, too. Proper spacing doesn’t just reduce competition for nutrients—it also improves airflow, which helps prevent disease. In humid environments, spacing becomes even more important.
In short, what works for one gardener might not work for another. And that’s okay. Each garden is different. With each season I learned more and kept experimenting. Mistakes will keep happening along the way.
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