10 Top Gardening Myths of 2017

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Robert Pavlis

2017 was a great year for GardenMyths.com as we reached almost 3.5 million visitors, since starting the blog. I also managed to publish two books Garden Myths and Building Natural Ponds and sneaked in another video on my YouTube channel before the end of the year.

The new Facebook Group; Garden Fundamentals now has 334 members and is growing quickly. If you have not joined yet, do so now so you don’t miss some any of the great discussions going on there.

Please join Garden Fundamentals Facebook Group now!

I was looking through the unpublished posts and found several in draft form that are ready for 2018. With a large back log of ideas I expect this blog to continue for years.

Thanks to all of my readers for making this such a success.

It is now time to look back at 2017 and review some of the best posts of the year: the 10 Top Gardening Myths of 2017.

Aspen Grove Gardens, my garden winter 2017
Aspen Grove Gardens, my garden, winter 2017

Bokashi vs Composting

On a global basis Bokashi is a popular technique and usually referred to as a method of composting, but it is not composting. A comparison of the two methods provides some interesting insight into traditional composting.

Salts Don’t Kill Plants or Microbes

The idea that salts kill plants and microbes in the soil is a common belief of the organic movement. A better understanding of salts and their interactions with other life forms will help you understand why this myth can’t be true, provided salt levels are kept reasonable.

The “Science Does Not Know Everything” Conundrum

The general public does not understand the scientific method and consequently has unreasonable expectations from scientists. It is important that these lines of communication improve. I hope this post helps in some small way.

Are Honey Bees Dying – Are We Losing Our Food Supply?

We love our bees and for very good reason but there are many myths around bees that are leading people to make poor choices. Almost everyone I talk to thinks that we are losing our honey bees – we are not.

Will Oxalic Acid in Rhubarb Leaves Harm You?

This may not be one of the most important myths of 2017 but it is one I did believe until I did some research on the topic. I bet most you believed it too.

Peat and Peat Moss – The True Story

I wrote several posts this year about peat moss and this one is a good summary of the facts. There are lots of peat moss myths.

Is Coir an Eco-friendly Substitute for Peat Moss?

In our quest to be more eco-friendly we reach incorrect conclusions easily. It is really important that we use facts to make decisions and not our gut feelings, which are frequently wrong.

Planting Garlic – When is the Right Time?

Something like planting garlic seems like such a simple thing that humans have been doing for centuries. Why is it then that we still don’t know when to plant it? These little experiments are popular among my readers and provide information that is difficult to find on line.

Compost Tea NPK Values

Of all the topics I have dealt with, compost tea is one of the most controversial. Although this post discusses the nutrient value of compost tea, the post is more about providing insights into how myths get started. I find this latter topic fascinating and it is not always easy to understand the how and why of a myth.

Does Peat Moss Acidify Soil?

I am sure that I have read about this peat moss myth a thousand times and yet it is simply not true, at least for alkaline soil, as shown by this simple experiment.

 

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Robert Pavlis

I have been gardening my whole life and have a science background. Besides writing and speaking about gardening, I own and operate a 6 acre private garden called Aspen Grove Gardens which now has over 3,000 perennials, grasses, shrubs and trees. Yes--I am a plantaholic!

6 thoughts on “10 Top Gardening Myths of 2017”

  1. Hi Robert. Would you kindly make a post about reusing water from the home (graywater) and another post about using Effective Microorganisms? Thanks!

    Reply
  2. Congratulations on 3.5 million. That a lot of gardeners you have helped even when you divide it down to those who repeatedly return like I do.
    That leaves a lot of uninformed gardeners that do not benefit from your wisdom. I despaired today when I received an annual seed catalogue at all the dubious sundries on offer with childish promotions and explanations. The gardening press treat the gardening public as idiots But then as recyclers of myths they know no better.

    Reply
  3. You’re obviously a busy man! How much time do you spend on an average month doing this blog and the research?

    I know how much time it takes to do my own blog, and most of that is just opinions and rants, but to find facts and to research a topic must take a fair bit of time on top of just a normal blog.

    Obviously a lot of the time is well spent as you personally learn more, but I’m sure a lot of time is taken to find the facts about what you already know, so in many ways can be time wasted so to speak, for yourself, not wasted for us 🙂

    Just curious since I spend hours and hours each week finding info and learning but you must spend so much more time researching….

    …your time is much appreciated by the way 🙂

    Reply
    • Thanks. I spent 3 hours researching chelates today, and that was for a post which was half started. Some take much more time than others.

      But I learn a ton of stuff. Good thing I am retired. 🙂

      Reply

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