Gardening Failures....And Why It's OK

Rainbows don't exist without the rain. So too does success not exist without failure.

Before I begin this blog post, let me ask the readers a question. When was the last time you did something where 100% of your results ended up being positive? The simple answer is probably never. Even your common disinfectants only kill "99.9%" of germs - because, statistically speaking, 100% doesn't exist and there is always a margin for error. So why do I ask you this? Well, even as an experienced gardener that has a Master's level education in plant science, I have also seen my fair share of failures on the homestead.

It's not about the failures; it's about the experience. So smile and relax. You might learn something.

Let me start from the beginning. My wife and I bought a plot of land last year (March 2024) and purchased a home to move onto said land. When all said and done and move-in ready, we finally got our keys in September. That is already late into the planting season and there were many other variables along with that that hindered our success. For example, the rest of Las Cruces, NM (or at least a majority of it) is considered to be in USDA Hardiness Zone 8 (typically 8b), but for us, our Hardiness Zone actually falls into the category of 7b. This means that we have more cold days, on average, than the rest of the city. Going based off of the planting times we were familiar with, coming from our previous residences located in the inner city, we ended up planting things at the wrong time for our Hardiness Zone.

Another hurdle comes from our soil. Sure, we could get out soil tested to see the composition and other characteristics of it but we prefer to let our plants tell the tale. Because even soil from the same plot that's 10 ft. away from each other can vary significantly in composition and profile. Why does soil matter? Because the type of soil you have will determine how much you have to water. Sandy soil loses water quickly through its large particle size whereas clay soil has too much water holding potential and tends to pool, causing an anaerobic (oxygen deficient) environment and leading to things like root rot. Your soil type will dictate your irrigation regimes for this reason and is something we at the homestead, being our first season of growing on this land, is something we have had to troubleshoot. Not to mention different plants require different amounts of water at different stages of life, etc.

What other things have we endured? Hmm...let's see. Well, for one, the wind gusts in our area are absolutely nuts! We have had 55 mph winds that have obliterated our greenhouse, strewn pots and debris all over the yard, and has caused severe damage to plants, leading to death or stunting of growth and wind burn on leaves. We have had issues with rabbits and birds eating our seeds and seedlings, we've had loose neighborhood horses trample and graze on our plants, and we have dealt with late April freezes that kills off all the green growth that started at the beginning of spring.

Despite all of that, I would like to end on a more positive note. What are some of our successes on the homestead and garden? One is that we didn't lose all of our plants, and we still have a lot that are growing and flourishing and thriving. Our mint, rose, foxglove, petunias, pansies, and many, many more are still in excellent condition. Not only that but our fig and peach tree have survived even the heaviest of winds - where the dust has gotten so bad we couldn't even see the neighbor's house! We have new sprouts or growth seemingly every day, partially due to our method of chaos gardening (see blog post about chaos gardening for more information). We have blueberry bushes thriving in an area where they theoretically shouldn't be able to due to the alkalinity of our soil. We have an abundance of green onions and arugula. And overall and probably most importantly, we are able to keep smiles on our faces and stay in good spirits even in the face of adversity. We try and repurpose what is broken instead of losing all hope and getting discouraged. We have our health and our happiness and that's bigger than any garden failure ever could be.

So why am I telling you this? Why write this blog? I want to let you know that it's OK to fail. From failure comes lessons. All of this is a learning experience and will lead to great things if you take lessons from your failures instead of discouragement. It's also extremely important that you focus on your successes. What has worked and why? What hasn't worked and why? Adjust and try again. Try journaling (you can find a gardening journal here: Planting Journal & Gardening Book - From Seed to Sprout Blank Journal | From Seed To Sprout) so you can reflect on past successes and failures and make adjustments for next season. And never give up. That is the most important. If you give up, you are guaranteed to never be successful. Now let's get out there and garden!!!

Journal your gardening faults and successes so you know just what to do (or not to do) next year.