16 Common Organic Gardening Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Unlike conventional gardening, which relies heavily on synthetic chemicals, organic gardening relies primarily on maintaining healthy soil, companion planting, and

biological pest control to promote a healthy ecosystem in the garden.
While this holistic approach to gardening offers numerous benefits, it also presents challenges.

This blog will address the most common gardening mistakes organic gardeners make and provide simple solutions to get the best results in your garden!

1. Neglecting Soil Health

Mistake: Overlooking the importance of soil quality and fertility.

Solution: Gardening is more complex than planting something and willing it to grow, and soil might be one of the most important things in your garden. To ensure a successful crop, regularly test soil quality through soil tests and feed it properly with organic compost, vermicastings, and slow-release fertilizer. Fertile soil can make a world of difference in your entire garden!

2. Choosing the Wrong Plants

Mistake: Planting species unsuitable for your climate, soil type, or growing season.

Solution: Research and select plants suited for your hardiness zone, soil type, growing conditions, and gardening skills. For example, native crops are perfect for beginner gardeners.

3. Ignoring Companion Planting

Mistake: Not taking advantage of companion planting to benefit plant growth and deter pests.

Solution: Plant compatible plants together to enhance each other's growth and natural pest resistance. For example, cabbage grows harmoniously with celery, beets, chard, lettuce, and onions.

4. Skipping Crop Rotation

Mistake: Planting the same crops in the same spot year after year leads to soil depletion and pest buildup.

Solution: Rotate crops annually to maintain soil fertility and break pest cycles. Use nutrient-rich soil, like we previously talked about. 

5. Using Too Much Water

Mistake: Overwatering plants causes root rot and nutrient deficiencies.

Solution: Water plants according to their needs, considering soil type, weather and using methods like drip irrigation.

6. Neglecting Proper Spacing

Mistake: Planting too closely or overcrowding leads to poor air circulation and increased risk of disease.

Solution: Follow the recommended spacing guidelines on your seed packets or plant labels to allow plants to grow without crowding.

7. Not Attracting Beneficial Insects

Mistake: Killing all the bugs you see in your plants.

Solution: Learn to identify beneficial bugs for your plants before you go on a bug-killing rampage. Many crops, like ladybugs and lacewings, attract beneficial insects to help manage insect pests.

8. Planting at the Wrong Time

Mistake: Planting too early or late in the season, risking damage from frost or heat.

Solution: Plant according to your local climate and the plant's recommended planting time, often indicated on seed packets.

9. Schedule Watering

Mistake: In the afternoon, the water evaporates or heats up too fast, and at night the water becomes stagnant, potentially causing root rot. 

Solution: Water early in the morning or evening when there are a few hours of sun but is not at its peak.

10. Not Providing Good Air Circulation

Mistake: Crowding plants and hindering air movement, leading to increased risk of fungal diseases.

Solution: Space plants according to the recommendations in the packaging and prune them to allow for proper air circulation within the garden bed.

11. Using Synthetic Chemical Fertilizers

Mistake: Resorting to inorganic fertilizers that can harm soil health and the environment.

Solution: There are plenty of organic fertilizers out there that can help maintain soil fertility while adhering to organic gardening principles. 

12. Neglecting Pest Control

Mistake: Allowing insect pests to thrive without implementing organic pest control strategies.

Solution: Learn about natural methods like introducing beneficial insects, cover systems for raised beds, home remedies like neem oil, and practicing companion planting for pest management. We have a blog post on the best organic remedies for pest control that can help guide you through the numerous organic home remedies out there. 

13. Forgetting About Proper Pruning

Mistake: Pruning without understanding the needs of different plants causes poor growth or susceptibility to disease.

Solution: Find out the pruning needs for your crops to remove diseased or dead branches and encourage healthy growth

14. Overlooking Soil Type

Mistake: Ignoring your garden soil's composition and how it affects drainage and nutrient availability.

Solution: Run to your local agricultural store for a soil test. That way, you can understand your soil type (e.g., sandy, loamy) and choose plants that thrive in that specific soil type.

15. Expecting Instant Results

Mistake: Having unrealistic expectations for quick plant growth and bountiful harvests.

Solution: Embrace the learning curve of organic gardening and be patient. It takes time to master a new skill, and with time, consistency, and a few wins and losses, you'll see how much your progress will reflect in your garden.

16. Neglecting the Learning Curve

Mistake: Assuming organic gardening is easy.

Solution: With time, organic gardening becomes easy, but in the meantime, there are many challenges that you have to go through to become a knowledgeable organic gardener. Give yourself some learning grace and reach out to organic communities like the Vego Garden community for help to succeed on your gardening journey!