Top 8 Mistakes Beginner Gardener's Make!

1. Putting your garden out of sight

Planting your vegetables and herbs in a lonely backyard corner may help hide it from your homeowners association (HOA), but it will hide it from you, too. That makes it easy to forget to check for droopy plants that need water, miss the early signs of pests, or neglect to harvest regularly.

Do this instead: Plant your garden where it's hard to miss—outside the kitchen door, along a walkway you frequent, or near the back patio. You'll be able to spot thirsty plants or bug damage quickly, before major harm occurs to your crops. If it's out of sight, it's out of mind. Keep it where you frequent the most.

2. Planting too much

After spending the winter creating elaborate gardening Pinterest boards, and scrolling social media dreaming of warmer days, it's easy to overestimate how big your garden should be—and underestimate the time and effort it will take to care for it.

Do this instead: Start small. If you're a total newbie to gardening, make a list of your five favorite vegetables and herbs. Then take a little time to research their growing needs before you buy them. Add some new things once you get the hang of it, or each new season. This is one time you don't want to "go big or go home"....YET!

3. Planting too soon (or too late)

On the first warm day after being cooped up inside all winter, you head straight outside and plant a row of tomatoes...and then nighttime temperatures plummet back below freezing and you lose them all. On the other hand, you don't want to wait too long to plant, either. Planting when it's already hot can stress plants and require a lot more effort from you to get them to harvest.

Do this instead: First, find out your region's estimated first and last frost dates. Use those dates as a guide to when to start your garden. If you're anxious to get your hands dirty after a long winter, busy yourself building a raised bed, adding garden paths, or amending your soil until the danger of frost passes.

4. Planting in just any old soil

Soil provides the foundation for a successful garden, so it needs to be rich and filled with nutrients. Bad soil is like junk food for plants, and they won't grow and thrive if they're stuck in it—just like you wouldn't do well if all you ate were candy bars.

Do this instead: Before planting, improve your in-ground soil with nutrient-rich materials for the plants you intend to plant in that spot. Be sure to determine whether you will be planting in-ground, in containers, or in raised beds. Each scenario can require something a bit different.

5. Planting where there's not enough sun

You may love tomatoes, but if you don't have a spot that gets at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight, you won't have much luck growing them. It's a basic—and sometimes frustrating—fact of gardening: You'll waste time, money, and effort trying to grow sun-loving plants in shady space.

Do this instead: If your yard is on the shady side, consider growing sun-loving plants in containers and placing them in whatever sunny patch is available, whether that's a patio, balcony, or driveway. Just use as many pots as you need to create the garden you want.

6. Crowding your plants

Small plants will grow bigger, and as they do, they're going to need more space. Too many plants crowded in a small area means they're going to have to compete for water and nutrients, jeopardizing the health of the entire garden. Plus, if there isn't enough air circulation between plants, any diseases that come along will have an easier time spreading.

7. Planting far from a water source

Moisture is one of the biggest plant needs, but there are few things less exciting than having to lug heavy watering cans or drag a long, unwieldy hose across the yard to give the garden a much-needed drink. The usual result? Your plants don't always get all the water they need.

Do this instead: If you can, position your garden near a water source. Or, if you have to plant elsewhere because of sun needs, consider installing a rain barrel near the garden to make watering easier. To know when it's time to water, check the dryness of the soil by sticking your finger in it. When the top inch is dry, water deeply and thoroughly, aiming water at the base of the plants to avoid splashing water on the leaves (which can lead to disease).

8. Not feeding your plants

When you're starting out, it's easy to forget that plants need food, too. Sure, if you improved the soil at planting time, your garden will have good nutrition to start, but even the best soil will eventually run short of nutrients to feed your hungry plants if you don't replace them. DON'T FORGET TO HARVEST ON TIME!