Errors in the vegetable garden

What joy it gives me when people write us who are going to start with a orchard at home following reading this blog. It's a rush… You asked me for some tips to get started. I'm going to tell you about the basic mistakes that we all make and that keep us from success in our harvests. I think it will serve as a small guide to get started in a flowerpot.

When starting with a flowerpot, we allow ourselves to be carried away by that illusion of thinking that we are going to cultivate our own potted vegetables, and we started buying pots, seeds, tools... without thinking that they may not be the most appropriate. Well, let's get carried away by illusion, which is the best there is, and more today. But at the same time, let us take into account the most common mistakes in the planter to avoid committing them as well.

No plan what we are going to sow. It is important to consult the planting calendars. In Gardening On we publish one per month. I link you to the one of November. If we plant vegetables out of season, we are almost certainly doomed to failure.
When you've decided what you're going to plant, keep in mind that during the germination and growth period, you'll have a period without a harvest. This period can sometimes be frustrating; you can plant short cycle species (lettuce or radishes) to enjoy some vegetables while the next harvest grows.
Buy pots without taking into account the needs of the crop. Each vegetable needs a certain minimum space. We recently published a table of sizes of the pots according to the crop. Also keep in mind that you can use planters or grow tables, but then you have to inquire about the favorable and unfavorable crop associations.
Do not completely fill the containers of substratum. They must be completely filled with substratum The containers in which we plant our vegetables. The more substrate they have, the better. Also, even if you fill them completely, they compact and decrease in volume when watered. Fill them to the top, leaving just a centimeter so that water doesn't spill out when watering. When they get low, you can refill them or add fertilizer if necessary.
Sow directly the seeds in the substrate. There are species that need it this way, but others require prior germination in the nursery. Check the requirements of each vegetable. In our search engine you can find many of them. And we will add more.
Plant more than one plant per pot. Again we will have to consult the space needs of the species in the Guide to common mistakes in container gardening (most need their own pot) and planting companion plants so they don't compete for nutrients, but rather collaborate in their creation and consumption. Some plants will need the entire space to themselves.
In any case, you can on request , put in the search engine «macetohuerto» and you will see all the posts about it: sowing, transplanting, germination, containers, irrigation, tools, substrate, fertilizers…. I hope it helps you!