Top Ten Gardening Mistakes
Everyone who has a hobby made mistakes while learning the skills needed to succeed. Usually over time, we make new mistakes as we try new methods. New gardeners make different mistakes than those with experience, but we all kill plants. Dr. Doug Welsh, was the coordinator of the Texas state Master Gardeners program for 21 years. He is the co-author of Xeriscape Gardening: Water Conservation for the American Landscape and the author of Doug Welsh's Texas Garden Almanac and produces two weekly Texas gardening programs. As the keynote speaker at the Texas Master Gardeners' Conference, Welsh detailed gardeners' top ten mistakes. Are these your top ten mistakes? 1. Overwatering - Twenty-five percent of water used by people in towns and cities is used for landscapes and gardens. Overwatering encourages shallow roots and stresses plants. His tip is to watch crape myrtle and hardy hibiscus shrubs for signs of needing water. When they wilt it is time to water. Water so the soil is ...