Landscaping Myths that Can Ruin Your Garden

There is an awful lot of information out there for homeowners to wade through that covers all kinds of landscaping and gardening issues. While most of it is great, helpful stuff there are one or two myths that seem to get passed around that never quite seem to die.



The problem is that some of these less than accurate gardening tips can actually kill your garden rather than help you cultivate it. Here are some of the most persistent and the reality behind them:



If you cut your grass shorter it won’t need mowing so often – This myth is probably abounded by disgruntled teenagers who are fed up with being told to mow the lawn every weekend when they could be off doing something far more interesting. The problem with this piece of advice is that if you cut your grass too short you are cutting away all its vital nutrients and making it far harder for successful photosynthesis to take place. So in actual fact the way this piece of advice should actually be phrased is "cut your grass shorter and you won’t have to mow it all because it will be dead."



Save water by watering your lawn at night – No one knows where this myth came from. Over watering is over watering (and many of us are guilty) it really does not matter what time of the day or night you do it. The average lawn only needs about an inch of water a week to keep it healthy and even in very hot weather it only needs to be kept slightly damp.



If you do water your lawn at night you will actually hurt it more than help it anyway. With no sun around a lot of the water will sit on top of the grass rather than pooling into the soil which over time may encourage deadly (to your green stuff anyway) lawn fungus to grow.



Professional Landscaping is a Waste of Money – The good guys and gals of the landscaping trade do tend to not quite the get the respect they deserve. But think about it – yes anyone can fire up a lawnmower but do you know which plants and flowers to buy to suit the particular climate you live in? Or the type of soil you have in your backyard? And do you know how to keep them alive during a cold snap or when it hasn’t rained for a week?



No one is saying you have to hire a gardener or landscaper to come over every week but consulting with a good landscaping professional when you are first planting – or replanting your exterior space is a great investment. Not only will you get a great looking garden but you may also save a small fortune on plants that if used in your yard will wither and die.