What gardening advice do you wish you knew when starting out?

For those who’ve been gardening for a while, what advice do you wish you had when you were starting out?

  • What are your biggest Do’s and Don’ts for beginners?
  • What’s a gardening regret you have?
  • If you could give your past self some gardening wisdom, what would it be?

Overwatering is way worse than underwatering. Plants can recover faster from too little water than drowning.

Pace said:
Overwatering is way worse than underwatering. Plants can recover faster from too little water than drowning.

I drowned my palm once, and it took two years to recover. Now people keep asking me when I’m going to replace it!

I used to kill a lot of plants, but I’ve kept more alive than not! It’s all part of learning.

Nico said:
I used to kill a lot of plants, but I’ve kept more alive than not! It’s all part of learning.

Same here! Every gardener has killed plants; it’s just part of the process. Keep going!

Healthy soil equals healthy plants. Focus on the soil, and the plants will take care of themselves.

TatumRiley said:
Healthy soil equals healthy plants. Focus on the soil, and the plants will take care of themselves.

Totally agree! Investing in soil quality early makes all the difference.

TatumRiley said:
Healthy soil equals healthy plants. Focus on the soil, and the plants will take care of themselves.

The key is learning how to amend your soil properly.

  • There are no hard rules in gardening; experimenting is how you learn.
  • Protect your crops from animals like rabbits and deer.
  • Pay attention to how much sunlight your garden actually gets.
  • Store seeds in a dry place—they don’t last forever otherwise.
  • Start seedlings at the right time, or you’ll end up with flowers blooming indoors mid-winter!

@Jay
Also, remember to thin your plants. Overcrowding leads to wasted seeds and effort.

Amar said:
@Jay
Also, remember to thin your plants. Overcrowding leads to wasted seeds and effort.

Thinning is definitely important, but even a crowded planting can teach you valuable lessons!

Mint. I regret planting mint. When people say it spreads, they mean it.

Remy said:
Mint. I regret planting mint. When people say it spreads, they mean it.

Even in a pot, my mint tries to escape and take over.

Kai said:

Remy said:
Mint. I regret planting mint. When people say it spreads, they mean it.

Even in a pot, my mint tries to escape and take over.

What are you feeding it? Mine’s struggling, and I’m on my second pot!

You’re going to kill some plants. It happens to everyone, so don’t get discouraged. Learn from it and keep going.

Adi said:
You’re going to kill some plants. It happens to everyone, so don’t get discouraged. Learn from it and keep going.

Same here. I’ve done everything you listed and learned a ton along the way!

Jem said:
When the tag says full sun, it means full sun. Also, cold hardiness matters. Don’t waste time and money on plants that won’t survive your winters.

Full sun in Texas doesn’t mean all-day sun. Afternoon shade is a must here.

@Valen
Same for Los Angeles sun. It can bake plants alive if you’re not careful.

Feed the soil, not the plants. Also, take notes! I’ve made the same mistakes multiple times because I didn’t write things down.

Phoenix said:
Feed the soil, not the plants. Also, take notes! I’ve made the same mistakes multiple times because I didn’t write things down.

Taking notes has saved me so much time. Tracking fertilizer schedules and planting dates has been a game-changer.