Bust common garden myths and cultivate a thriving garden with this expert advice.
Weve done some digging for you and gotten the real scoop on some popular garden myths.
Drought-tolerant plants don’t need to be watered.
Credit:Ed Gohlich
Even the most drought-tolerant plants actually do need to be watered at least the first year they are planted.
Give them a layer of mulch that first year, too, to hold in moisture.
Think of that extra water as training wheels for those tough plants.
Credit:Dera Burreson
Once theyre a year old, these plants can pretty much fend for themselves.
Drought-tolerant does not mean drought-proof.
Adding compost to planting holes encourages root growth.
But this has since been proven to do more harm than good.
Backfilling a planting hole with amended soil can cause the plant to have a reduced root system.
One exception: If you haveheavy clay soil, you should amend with compost to improve drainage.
A planting hole should be twice as wide as the root ball but no deeper.
Gravel in the bottom of a container helps drainage.
You do not need to add a layer of gravel or pot shards to help it out.
Putting anything at the bottom of the pot is bad for plants, gardening expert C.L.
That so-called drainage layer of rocks can also block the drainage hole and keep it from doing its job.
Pine needle mulch makes soil too acidic for plants.
Once they have decomposed, they are closer to neutral, notes Fornari.
And no, thats not because their acid is leached into the ground.
Dera Burreson
5.
Watering on hot, sunny days will hurt plants.
Guess what: Its been raining during the summer for eons and plants have done just fine.
That means the plant may still wilt even after you water it.
As much as possible, avoid splashing leaves while watering to reduce plant diseases.
Dish soap is a natural, safe alternative to pesticides.
Dish soap is not the same thing as insecticidal soap, and it can damage plants.
Dish soapsare man-made detergents designed to be powerful chemical cleaners and degreasers.
Look closely at their labels: Many liquid dish soaps arent even soap, theyre dishwashing liquid.
They can damage or destroy a plants leaves if sprayed on them.
Theyre also regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency so theres science behind them.
Houseplants purify indoor air.
It’s a lovely idea, but in reality, houseplants have a minimal impact on indoor air quality.
The whole truth is more complex.
That means in a 1,200-square-foot apartment, youd need 12,000 plants.
If you want pure air, buy amechanical air purifier, not a peace lily.
Deer-resistant plants on the edge of a yard will keep deer out.
As the Michigan State University Extension Service puts it, deer havent survived for eons by being food-stupid.
But it’s only a matter of time before they find your delicious hydrangeas, hostas, and daylilies.
Thinking otherwise is like believing your teenager wont eat cookies if you put them next to kale chips.
The most effective way to keep deer out of your yard and garden is an 8-foot-tall fence.
Otherwise, trya deer repellentand put it on the plants they like to eat.
Reapply it after every rain.
Coffee grounds are a good natural fertilizer.
Tossing your usedcoffee grounds around your plantswont actually do much good.
The best way touse coffee groundsin a gardening is to compost them, McKinley says.
And no, coffee grounds dont acidify soil, either.
