The Truth Behind 4 Common Home Garden Myths

Myths in the gardening world are problematic. They deter hopeful home gardeners and confuse new home gardeners by making it sound complicated! That's why today I want to discuss 4 common home gardening myths and the truth behind them! 

Dismiss the myths that are holding your garden back!

Myth #1: The best spot for your garden is a spot that gets sun all day.

A full day of sun for us can be as much as 10 -14 hours but your veggies and fruit don't actually need that much. In the farming world full sun means 6 hours of direct sun, and some plants like lettuce and do well in as little as 3 hours of sun. The best spot in your yard for a garden only needs 6 hours of direct sun and for many plants shade in the afternoon is beneficial. A bit of shade in your garden can help reduce issues like sun scald in peppers and tomatoes. It can also help reduce water loss, mid-day wilt, and high temperatures in the garden. If you do not have a good spot that gets both direct sun for 6 hours and some late afternoon shade then you can still plant there you may just need to create some artificial shade with a cloth or a temporary structure. 

Myth #2: Use sand to amend clay soil (something we have a lot of in Kentucky).

Amending soil can be intimidating and confusing for new and experienced gardeners alike. If you have heavy water logged clay soil in your garden it might be temping to amend it with sand which is well draining. In the same way if you have sandy soil that drains too fast it may seem like a good idea to amend it with clay. The issue with this idea is that mixing clay and sand won't actually help the soil structure it will still be clumpy and not drain evenly. To fix the soil structure you need to add humus (organic material). The organic material will break down replenishing nutrients while building structure. Another great way to break up clay, add organic material, and build soil structure is to plant cover crops in the fall. The roots of the crops and they above ground growth will decompose into the soil resulting in a number of benefits.

Myth #3: Don't get water on the foliage on a hot day or the plant will burn up.

This myth has some reason behind it, as a general rule you want to water the soil not the foliage. You can be more efficient with water by only watering the soil focusing on the base of your plants, but if you get water on the foliage it will not ruin the plant. I know I've wasted time in the past meticulously avoiding foliage thinking droplets could be detrimental, but you don't have to! Keep in mind that extreme temperature changes can damage plants and leaves so cold water on a hot leaf can cause damage. To avoid this water in the morning or the evening.

Myth #4: Planting in rows is the best way to garden.

This one is rooted in tradition, when people think gardening they think the perfect rows or a corn field or even a traditional homestead garden. In big farms were tractors are doing most of the seed sowing rows do make sense but in your home garden where you have full control forget the rows they are holding you back! Interplanting is the practice of planting different plants together and planting densely.  This kind of planting makes the most of small garden spaces, is more manageable, and its aesthetically pleasing. If you have any questions about interplanting or what some helping coming up with an interplanting plan I would love to help just give me a call or book a consultation!