There are several ornamental plants and even some common vegetables we would love to have in our gardens. But after a few days, we begin to realise that some plants are not always easy to grow, which is why you are unlikely to see them in many yards.
To help loop you in, our garden experts came up with a list of flowers, vegetables, and plants — that even green-fingered Brits have a hard time growing and keeping alive. These are the types of plants where greenhouses may be the way to go, thanks to the heat regulation and weather protection they provide.
Some of them are the common vegetables we serve on our dinner plates, such as celery and onions. They might look like an easy job in the garden as they are in the kitchen, but you’ll be surprised to know that they’re not.
The 7 Most Difficult Plants to Grow in your Home Garden
There are a number of flowers and vegetables that either look or taste great, but when it comes to growing them your own, it seems near enough impossible. Some may germinate and sprout quite easily but trying to keep them alive for some time or until harvest is a complicated task.
Unlike some easy to grow plants, you need to do thorough research on exactly what each of these plants requires – from specific soil types to particular kinds of water. And unless you are willing to the legwork, you better leave these hard-to-grow plants to the experts.
1. Orchids
You may be wondering why orchids are on the list, mainly because they are one of the most popular houseplants. Despite this, orchids are seriously fragile.
Orchids need to sit in a room with temperatures between 15 and 30 degrees Celsius. They are big fans of the full morning sun but prefer shade for the rest of the day.
An indication that the plant is getting enough sun is if the leaves are light green. If they are too dark, it means that the orchids aren’t getting enough sun.
Also, when watering them, gardeners need to allow the soil to dry completely between watering, plus orchids require feeding once a month. Talk about needy!
2. Cauliflower
Cauliflowers may look like an easy target if you want to start a vegetable patch in your yard, but they require a long growing season. They can also be a tricky veggie to grow since they don’t like the weather to be too hot or too cold.
In fact, they are time and weather-sensitive too. Cauliflower seeds should be planted early enough to have them mature by the time the summer’s hot temperature starts, but late enough not to reach a too cold season.
They also need to be blanched and have their stalks bent. This process will make the outer leaves come up and over the top of the head, covering the vegetable. These leaves must then be tied and kept this way until the veggie’s head has matured.
3. Venus Flytrap
The Venus Flytrap has very sensitive roots. They are so sophisticated that you should only hydrate them with distilled water or rainwater.
This unusual plant also needs to have proper drainage and special soil. Regular potting soil will kill a Venus Flytrap plant. Therefore, most people use sphagnum moss with an equal amount of sand.
Remember, Flytraps are carnivorous plants. They love to get a lot of sunlight. And if you choose to let them sit indoors, make sure to feed them insects such as mealworms or crickets!
4. Celery
We all want our celery stalks to be crunchy and delightful, but not every one of us can master growing them this way. The crispy and yummy combination in celeries requires a lot of moisture.
It means that celery should only be planted in a soil mixture that can hold water well. It also requires a long growing season of 120-180 days from seed to harvest, in a temperature that’s cold enough.
5. Onions
Onions are in almost every meal we eat, making us cry when we slice them and also cry when we try to grow them! This bulb is hard to plant since it’s particularly sensitive to the amount of daylight it receives.
When trying to plant an onion, it’s crucial to understand where yo plant them best. There are onion varieties that require shorter days in a country (12 hours average) while there are some that might need up to 16 hours of daylight!
6. Wasabi
Popularly known as one of the hardest plants to grow in the world, wasabi is prone to diseases when planted on a large scale. This plant can also take over a year to reach its maturity.
Wasabi plants don’t grow in an extremely humid area or under the wrong nutrient composition — these situations can, in fact, wipe out an entire crop. They also need lots and lots of water, but cannot be submerged just like water lilies.
7. Melons
A lot of gardeners don’t even begin planting melons because they grow on the sprawling, space-hogging vines. Even if you successfully have them crawl on your garden, you can’t make sure they turn out to be flavourful.
For the most chance of growing good fruits, melon soil should be kept mulched and watered to prevent stressing the plants. Plus, extreme temperature swings are not recommended when growing good melons.
CONCLUSION
Gardening is an activity that comes with a lot of health benefits, but you have to make sure not to come across some plants which will stress you out more than calm your nerves!
What do you think ?