Mistake #4: Mulching

As far as mulch goes, many gardeners think that if a little is okay, a lot is much better. Then they worsen the problem by piling on the mulch around their plant’s stems.

But in actuality, you shouldn’t use more than 2 inches of mulch and spread it evenly around your plants, leaving a void of several inches around their stems.

This is known as the doughnut effect, as opposed to the volcano effect of stacking up the mulch against stems, which causes rot, and then you’ll also have insect problems.

Furthermore, make sure you’re using the right mulch type: stone or gravel for succulents and cacti, wood chips, shredded bark mulch, or compost for most of the other plants in your garden.