We all have bad habits. Some people chew their fingernails; others mow their grass too short in the summer. You can guess which one bugs me the most. The odd thing about many of the worst bad habits in the garden is that they have become so commonplace. The worst offenses are repeated everywhere to the extent that gardeners think they are the rule.

Over-mulching, for example, has been an epidemic problem for many years despite the fact that research spells out trouble for our plants when we bury their roots under a foot of hardwood mulch. We are told not to do it because it prevents oxygen from reaching the root system, and thick layers of mulch become hydrophobic, repealing water instead of moderating soil moisture.

Recommended for you