Deirdre O Meara 
As the gardening season begins, people are turning to social media for tips and tricks to help their gardens thrive. However, one gardening expert is warning that not all advice found on social media is worth following. Joanna VonBergen, the founder of Gingham Gardens, has been gardening for as long as she can remember and is cautioning people to be wary of what they see on their For You Page or Instagram feed.
“There are so many social media tricks and/or hacks that are really bad advice,” VonBergen warned. “I especially dislike homemade pest control remedies or remedies to control weeds. They are often touted as ‘organic’ when they aren’t organic at all and they don’t work, or they wreak havoc on your soil and environment.”
VonBergen suggests that people steer clear of gardening advice found on social media, unless it’s from a reputable gardening site that is solely about gardening. She also recommends getting information from local Master Gardener extensions, which can provide accurate and reliable advice.
In addition to avoiding bad advice, VonBergen cautions against working on gardens too soon in the spring. “Honestly, it is best to just be patient a little longer and not disturb garden beds at all just yet,” she urged. “If you start cleaning up your garden too early, you can do more harm than good.”
Another common mistake is getting overzealous about planting at the beginning of the season. “One of the biggest gardening mistakes that I see with gardeners is we get all excited and overzealous when spring comes and we plant a huge garden that is hard to maintain in the heat of summer,” she said. “The weeds take over and plants die.”
As gardening continues to grow in popularity, it’s important to seek out reliable sources for advice. VonBergen’s tips can help gardeners avoid common mistakes and ensure a successful growing season.
