Gardening is a healthy and fun hobby, but there is an initial learning curve. One Redditor shared their major newbie mistake, concerned they just destroyed their entire garden.
The original poster wrote, "Guys, I messed up, BAD." After building two raised beds, filling them with soil, and planting a fresh batch of crops, the OP realized the soil they used was a nutrient-deficient topsoil.
"No wonder why my radishes that I planted like 3 weeks ago barely broke the surface," they said. "Do I need to remove all that mulch and dig up all my vegetables and mix the soil with stuff? … What do I do?"
Thankfully, the supportive and knowledgeable community in the r/gardening subreddit came out in droves to offer advice and encouragement.
"Don't panic!" wrote one Redditor. "Many people start out on plain soil. You need to add nutrients." The OP found relief in these comments, writing that they hoped to avoid digging up the entire project. "The hardest part is the labor," they said.
One way to prevent a gardening faux pas like this is to install a native-plant yard, also known as rewilding. Native plants are already adapted to the composition of your lawn and don't require nearly as much time, maintenance, or money.
Homeowners who grow native plants or switch to a natural lawn enjoy lower water bills and chemical treatment fees.
They also see an increased amount of wildlife. Pollinators appreciate the healthy ecosystem of native growth as they do their important job of protecting our food supply.
There are many beautiful, low-maintenance lawn replacement options to choose from to suit your particular needs.
Rewilding your yard will create a diverse landscape of greenery and flower blooms. For a more manicured look, some homeowners prefer the appearance of buffalo grass or clover.
Even for only a partial-lawn replacement, any of these eco-friendly, low-cost options will significantly benefit homeowners.
Other Redditors offered helpful bits of wisdom to the OP. One user wrote, "Buy some worms, and throw in some compost for now."
"Buy a liquid fertilizer from the garden store to feed nutrients to all your plants by watering," another commented.
One Redditor said, "Dig a few holes just outside of the root zones of the existing plants, and put your soil amendments into the holes. The roots will find their happy places."
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
