When Things Go Wrong In The Garden (And How To Fix Them)
My most recent bad outcome: sunflowers that look very unwell…a stark contrast to the sunflowers I’ve grown below!
To quote Taylor Swift - “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem it’s me” - seems to be where everyone’s mind goes when something goes wrong in the garden. But in my experience gardening is just a series of solving a few problems and most garden issues have a very simplistic solution - if only everyone would stop exclaiming that they are a ‘black thumb’ and that they ‘kill all their plants’ and just get on with it!
I personally have had a very recent garden failure: the sunflowers I was growing for my How To Grow Sunflowers In Pots video turned out to very unhappy with tiny blooms and crusty leaves. I considered not publishing the video, but I decided to because for one, the steps I go through are the correct steps, and two, I realised I should address the reasons why things can go a bit pear shaped as new challenges can come up in the garden, even when you’re experienced.
I’ve included 7 common garden mistakes I see all the time and simple ways to rectify them below. If you’re wondering what went wrong for me, I believe that aphids got to my sunflowers. Wah!
I’m consoling myself with all the times I’ve grown sunflowers successfully (above) in the past!
7 Common Garden Problems + Simple Solutions
Watering - all plants and flowers need to be watered everyday. If they are looking droopy, give them a proper water and wait a couple of days before declaring a disaster! And then create a 1 minute watering habit each day.
Sun - all plants need direct sun to grow and seeds need heat from the sun to activate. #veryimportant Placing a plant or seedlings inside a window is not direct sun. That said, if you live in Brisbane and the weather is very hot, you may want to protect your seedlings/plants by putting them somewhere where they get direct sun for part of the day and shade for the rest.
Season - something may not be growing because you’ve planted it in the wrong season. I first planted sweet peas in Spring in Brisbane, not realising that people traditionally plant them in autumn on St Patrick’s Day (March 17)! Download my free 2023 Brisbane Planting Calendar for more details.
Soil - plants are a reflection of the soil they are in so if you’ve been watering diligently and they’ve got enough sun (but not too much!) then the issue could be the soil. I definitely recommend using more expensive potting mix rather than the cheap stuff - the quality is huge and could be the difference between success and failure. See my compost guide for more info on other ways to create healthy soil.
Possums - the biggest complaint I hear in Brisbane is that ‘possums ate my seedlings’! Take it as a compliment and just re-plant your seeds again (because they won’t grow back now). You’ll also need to put plants either in a spot possums can’t get to or simply throw a $7 bird net from Bunnings over your veggies to stop possum access the kind way. I don’t harm animals or insects ever.
Caterpillars - and other insects can get amongst plants and eat your leaves. The most simple way I deal with this is take a caterpillar on a big leaf and move it to another part of my garden. Alternatively I find that moving my plants (if they’re in pots) to a new spot very often works! I do not squash caterpillars - they become beautiful butterflies and they need to eat too.
Holidays! One of the biggest plant killers I’ve seen is people going on holidays over the Christmas break. It’s hot and plants can’t survive more than a couple of days without water. Ask someone to water or set up an automatic watering system. Simple!
Aphids - I have a feeling the issue with my sunflowers in pots above looking so poorly was aphids. It’s the first time I’ve had the issue so I will report back once I have a solution. I don’t want this result again!
A sunflower from my garden that’s so healthy two bees are aiming for it in this photo!
Looking for more information? Check out my take on Growing Vegetables In Brisbane (In Minutes) and How To Use Your Raised Garden Beds All Year.
