Garden myths cause unnecessary stress. Discover 10 common garden concerns you can ignore and discover where to focus instead for a healthier and productive garden.
From the supposed calcium issue to the unfounded use of Epsom salts, garden myths are everywhere, with most of us falling for a few.
“Problems” in the garden that are not actually a problem
No matter how much we go about going, gardening has a way of humbling us. Each season is unpredictable and brings a variety of mixes of success and failure. But its unpredictability is part of its appeal, gardening is an art form and gets caught up in both sports.
The problem is that the world of gardening is crowded with unnecessary stressful folk tales and half the truth. Nature creates its own drama – we don’t need to add to it!
Take a companion planting chart, for example: it is not enough to suddenly meet the plant’s needs for the sun, water and soil. It is also expected to map who can sit next to you to make sure everyone gets along.
The good news is that many of these so-called rules are either inaccurate, overgeneralized, or far from the fact that they can safely cross it off the worry list and return to what is important, basic and wise gardening.
1Companion planting
Companion planting ideas appear in countless gardening books, websites and forums. Find a long list of plants that each one thinks they “like” or “hate” and turn basic garden plans into a confusing puzzle. problem? Most of these lists are folk tales and not true.
Some examples of scientific support arise from specific studies on agriculture, greenhouse production, or controlled laboratory settings. It is stretch that applies these narrow finds to backyard beds with a variety of plants, animals and growing conditions.
Give yourself a favor and put your companion chart aside. Instead, focus on the basics, such as the sun, soil, water, air, and enough time and space to grow. Meet the basic needs of each plant, you have already planted them where they need them.
2Water in the hot sun
You may have heard the old advice: do not water plants in the hot sun – it burns the leaves. This is just a garden myth that continues!
Water drops do not act like a magnifying glass like this and do not burn plants.
In fact, if the soil is dry on a hot day, water it immediately. The longer you wait, the dryer the soil will become. It makes it difficult for plants to bounce back.
3Planting in the moon cycle
Gardening by the lunar stage may sound poetic, but there is no scientific evidence to support it. The moon affects the tide and light, but it is not possible to microcontrollize how seeds sprout or how tomatoes grow.
Again, it is best to start with a good seed or transplant and provide a proven basic (right soil, temperature, light, moisture, timing, interval). Waiting for a particular moon cycle to plant will not result in a proven benefit and other foundations may be turned off.
4Plant-eating insects
Empress readers of Dirt Newsletters (you can subscribe for free here) will send you garden questions. One of the most common is the following version:
How can I stop the bug from eating my plants?
Based on my response, I may not be the person they want to ask. And here’s the reason.
Over time, my focus shifted from trying to create the perfect decorative space for painting to supporting healthy and functional ecosystems. In other words, I gave up the gardening style that dominated the old man I grew up in favor of something more natural and sustainable.
There are no more “good bugs, bad bugs”
The changes were more deeply grateful for how plants and animals interacted. These relationships are much more complicated than we fully understand, and in most cases the presence of insects and other creatures is not a problem.
You cannot have plants without bugs, and you cannot have insects without plants.
Damage to cosmetics like Lacey Leaves is not a crisis. It is survival in action. When we take a step back and let nature do its job, the garden is good for it.
Of course, there are exceptions. Several species (often invasive species) can cause serious harm, especially when they are destroying trees or devouring crops. In such cases, it is best to learn what you are dealing with, check what local conservation authorities recommend, and always skip pesticides and herbicides.
Sometimes the solution is simple, like handpicking. Otherwise, it means changing the course. For example, with Asian lily beetles, I ultimately gave up on growing those lilies completely.
Still, many of my native plants are still bitten. It is part of their role in the ecosystem. They feed wildlife, which supports a wider net of life. And despite the leaves, I still enjoy a lot of beautiful flowers.
It may help you remember how essential it is to a bird, especially if caterpillars cling to you. Before leaving the nest, one baby bird chick can consume thousands of caterpillars. Survivors become moth with butterflies and continue the cycle. What if you wipe them out?
5Acid pine needles
Yes, the pine needles are acidic, but they are still on the tree. However, as they fall off and begin to decompose, they quickly lose their acidity.
Therefore, concerns about pine needle mulch (or “pine straws”) that change the pH of the soil are unfounded.
If you have pine straws, know that it is a completely good mulch option and does not acidify the soil.
6Vegetable Roll
If the “friends and enemies” companion planting list has not yet scrambled your garden layout, crop rotations are happy to finish the job.
Crop rotation makes a lot of sense in large-scale agriculture where a single crop acre is grown year by year. But in small and diverse home gardens, it is not very practical and perhaps not necessary.
The benefits found on farms (such as pests and disease control and nutritional balance) do not translate well when you are moving your plants just a few feet. Pests can fly, spores migrate, and cold winters knock out many common pathogens anyway.
Unless you grow large amounts of single crops in the same location each year, spinning won’t make a big difference. A focus on soil health will give you better results. Add compost, plant a variety of crops and grow things that thrive in your conditions. It’s a much simpler path to a productive garden.
7Rat compost
If the idea of attracting mice and other creatures is one of the things that stops composting fruit and vegetable scraps, eggshells, and coffee grounds, then I have the good news.
Enclosed systems like tumbler compost boxes solve the problem. I’ve been using mine for years and it’s completely proven rat suppression. They can’t bite it and can’t get in. Sorry, mouse and mouse – you’re not lucky.
8Essential pruning
There is a longstanding belief that certain plants must be pruned annually, as if annual trimming is automatically beneficial. But that’s not true at all.
If the plant is dead, damaged, sick, or has severely crowded branches, remove it at any time. Beyond that, it depends on the species. Some plants respond well to plastic surgery and rejuvenation, while others can be harmed or lose their flower and fruit season.
Unless you’re familiar with plant growth and bloom cycles, it’s very easy to accidentally block next year’s display. Please refrain if you are in doubt. Winter is the ideal time to study the right technique for your species. And for some, it’s also the perfect season to prune. Others may not need pruning at all.
9Grows near walnut trees
A common misconception is that nothing grows near large walnut trees due to the jagron, a natural chemical that the tree produces.
In my experience, that’s not a complete story. My garden (now over 15) surrounds giant black walnuts, growing hundreds of plants nearby. I found it to be no different to growing near other species of mature trees.
In my (unscientific) opinion, the real challenge is a competition for light, water and space. Large trees bring dense roots and deep tints below. However, with the right choice (a plant with rooted roots that allow some shade), the nus grows well.
Do you ever intentionally plant walnut trees? Probably not, but not for Jagrons, but only for the endless walnuts to clean in the year of the mast.
10Tree stumps and rotten branches
When I was growing, if the tree had died, it was expected to be removed.
Today we understand things differently. Dead rotten trees are as important to garden life as they are living.
Old stumps and fallen branches provide food and shelter for countless creatures, from microorganisms and insects to birds and mammals. Over time, they break and recycle into nutrient-rich ingredients.
Some communities have strict rules for leaving garden debris. But if you have options, store old obstacles, logs and leaves. They are incredibly valuable to nature. If rules are prohibited, consider driving change. Earth-friendly policies benefit not only our gardens, but also our generations to come.
resource
Eco Benefia Gardening Book
I recommend these books. Because they are excited by the gardeners’ ecological gardening and the incredible relationship between plants and animals. Our future is in our hands!
1 Pollinator Victory Garden | Kim Ierman | Win the war with the decline of pollinators with ecological gardening. Attract and support bees, beetles, butterflies, bats and other pollinators
2 Rusty Patched Bumblebee Garden: Creating a native pollinator habitat: Ontario and the Great Lakes Edition | Lorraine Johnson, Sheila Kora | Gardeners should take action to assist and protect pollinators by creating habitats in yards and community spaces, balconies and boulevards, anywhere!
3 Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants in the Southern Great Lakes Region | Rick Gray and Sean Booth | Distill all the essential information for growing 150 garden-worthy native plants into a single glass guide.
4Bring Nature Home: How to Maintain Wildlife with Native Plants | Doug Tallamy
Five Garden Allies: Insects, Birds and Other Animals that Make Your Garden Beautiful and Prosperous | Frederique Lavoipierre
Six Humane Gardeners: Growing Wildlife Backyard Habitat (How to Create a Sustainable and Ethical Garden to Promote Wildlife, Plants and Biodiversity) | Nancy Lawson
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~Melissa Empress of the Defiled
