Common vegetable garden problems

(and how I laugh them off)

I adore gardening because it’s the only hobby where I can be part scientist, part chef, and part exterminator — all while wearing pants I’m pretty sure were green before I bought them. Here’s what I’ve learned, often the hard way, about why your plants sulk, gasp, or stage a full-on revolt.

Environmental & Site Issues

Sometimes the drama starts before the seed even thinks about sprouting.

• Insufficient Light: Vegetables are basically sun addicts. Most need 6–8 hours of direct sunlight. Give them less and they get leggy, stretched toward the light like tiny plant gymnasts, producing very little fruit. Move the pot, trim the overhanging bush, bribe the sun with coffee (fine, don’t).
• Poor Drainage: “Wet feet” equals root rot. If your soil stays soggy after rain it’s the plant equivalent of soggy cereal: a sad, mushy disaster. I made raised beds and suddenly my carrots felt like they’d retired to Florida.
• The “Bolting” Trap: Lettuce, spinach, and cilantro will bolt — fling up a flower stalk and turn bitter — when the thermostat says “summer’s here, for real.” Shade cloth or timing your plantings to avoid peak heat is like nudging them out of an embarrassing phase.
• Poor Pollination: Flowers but no fruit? Your squash might be crying out for a date with a bee. Plant marigolds or zinnias nearby and you’ll have pollinators showing up like it’s singles night at the community garden.

Watering & Soil Health

Getting these vitals right is the steepest part of the garden learning curve. I learned that the hard way by creating oddly shaped tomatoes and a few existentially confused carrots.

• Inconsistent Watering: This is the top reason for Blossom End Rot on tomatoes (black bottoms) and cracked skins. Aim for deep, steady watering at the base — not emotional, on-the-hour spritzing. Your plants prefer reliability over romance.
• Nutrient Deficiencies: Plants don’t text you, but they do show symptoms:
  • Yellow lower leaves → likely Nitrogen deficiency.
  • Purple leaves/veins → suspect Phosphorus (cold soil loves to hide it).
  • Brown or burnt edges → often Potassium playing hide-and-seek.
• The “Over-Lovers”: New gardeners (myself included) sometimes smother plants with affection: too much water, too much fertilizer. Result: roasted roots or lacy leaves with zero fruit. Moderation isn’t just for diets — it’s for dirt.

Pests & Diseases

Your garden is a five-star buffet, and the critters RSVP’d months ago.

• Aphids: Tiny, efficient sap thieves. I blast them off with a strong stream of water and feel mischievously heroic.
• Slugs & Snails: Seedlings are their delicacy. Crushed eggshells give them a crunchy detour, and beer traps make them confess their favorite holes.
• Tomato Hornworms: These hulking green caterpillars can strip a plant overnight. They blend in like camouflage ninjas, but picking them off by hand is oddly satisfying.
• Fungal Issues: Powdery mildew looks like someone powdered your leaves with too much culinary ambition. Poor airflow and overhead watering are the culprits. Water the soil, not the leaves, and give your plants elbow room.

Planning Blunders

I once planted 20 heads of lettuce on the same day and experienced a week-long, leaf-based identity crisis.

• The “Everything Everywhere” Mistake: Planting everything at once means you either eat salads for a month or mourn them as they spoil. Succession planting — spacing out sowings by a couple of weeks — gives you a steady stream of harvests and fewer panic dinners.
• Ignoring Spacing: Seedlings look like tiny lonely models when they’re packed far apart. Guess what? They grow fast and then start elbowing each other for nutrients and light. Give them the space to gossip in private.
• Pro Tip: Keep a simple garden journal. I jot down when I planted, what ate what, and when I heroically defeated slugs. By next season you’ll be a “genius” gardener — or at least someone who can predict when the basil will stage its next coup.

If your garden has problems, treat them like a quirky roommate: observe, respond, and occasionally throw out the mystery snack that nobody claims. Gardens forgive persistence, so laugh at your mishaps, learn from them, and go plant something else immediately.

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Posted in: Garden by Betty on January 27, 2026 @ 5:26 pm

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