Seedlings : 5 common mistakes made by beginner gardeners

1. Remember to water your plants after sowing

Have you just planted your first seedlings? Great! Keep in mind that your seeds need to be watered according to their growth. They need to be watered sparingly, but they do need water to keep the soil moist. As you go along, you will be able to adopt the watering requirements of each plant. So at first, don't be afraid to be too generous without drowning your seedlings.

2. Avoid squeezing the seeds too tightly

The first mistake in gardening is to be heavy handed when sowing! Seeds compressed together do not facilitate their germination. They will not be able to develop ideally. If you want to take advantage of your tomato, spinach, chard or zucchini harvest, you must thin them out and therefore space them out as soon as they are sown. This is the sine qua none condition to benefit from a superb harvest. A seed drill sold for a handful of euros can help you to better measure your sowing.

3. Respect the sowing calendar and the germination temperature

If you are new to gardening and are starting your very first seedlings, do not be impatient! It is not recommended to sow too quickly and too early. It is important to choose an optimal soil, i.e. a soil with a suitable climate. Watch the weather and any risk of frost! Good weather is a good factor for germination of your seeds. One of the easiest ways to respect the right planting periods is to use a calendar adapted to your region.

4. Do not ignore the climate of your region

Following on from the previous point, there are certain varieties of vegetables and aromatic plants such as carrots, spinach, red cabbage, leeks and parsley that can withstand the cold very well, while others such as tomatoes and zucchini only like the heat. You should therefore choose the type of seedlings you want to plant depending on where you live.

5. Don't neglect the quality of your seeds when sowing in the vegetable garden

If you want to succeed with your seedlings, it is crucial to select the right zucchini seeds or other vegetables to achieve this. The choice of your sowing is essential. Do not overdo this step, at the risk of decreasing your chances of germinating your seeds from the start. It should not be forgotten that it is what confers an optimal result as of their plantation. So be careful when buying your seeds!

Bonus: don't plant the same vegetables on the same plot

If you're a beginner, you probably don't know about crop rotation. It is an unstoppable device that allows you to avoid impoverishing the soil of your garden. To do this, it is advisable from one year to another to grow the same vegetables in a different place in your garden, especially for greedy vegetables such as tomatoes or cabbage. A good way to prepare your growing areas is to create a plan for your vegetable garden.