Although lots of people do it, not all are so successful at it. A lot of things have to go right if you want to enjoy a good harvest: weather conditions, soil, and enough love and care. This time, we’re celebrating the hilarious times people’s gardening efforts yielded less than desirable results, courtesy of the Might Harvestsubreddit.

Bored Pandareached out toLinda Ly, the founder ofGarden Betty, a top gardening and home blog. She shared her own experiences with garden fails and told us why making mistakes is a vital part of having your own garden. Read her expert insights below!

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Tiny fruit slice next to a penny, illustrating gardening attempts with no mighty harvest.

Modern homesteader and gardening enthusiast Lindy Ly of Garden Betty tells Bored Panda that her most memorable garden fail involved tomatoes. “I didn’t realize the effect that extreme heat can have on tomato plants,” she remembers.“We had a severe heat wave one summer that lasted a few weeks, and most of my tomatoes started dropping flowers. After that year, I learned to cover my plants with shade cloth in peak summer to protect the pollen,” she adds.Linda believes that failing and making mistakes is the best way to learn in the garden. Even if your harvest was less than impressive, she encourages you not to lose faith and keep at it. After all, with every mistake, you learn something new. “It’s always worth trying again with the new insights you’ve gained!” Linda believes.

Modern homesteader and gardening enthusiast Lindy Ly of Garden Betty tells Bored Panda that her most memorable garden fail involved tomatoes. “I didn’t realize the effect that extreme heat can have on tomato plants,” she remembers.

“We had a severe heat wave one summer that lasted a few weeks, and most of my tomatoes started dropping flowers. After that year, I learned to cover my plants with shade cloth in peak summer to protect the pollen,” she adds.

Linda believes that failing and making mistakes is the best way to learn in the garden. Even if your harvest was less than impressive, she encourages you not to lose faith and keep at it. After all, with every mistake, you learn something new. “It’s always worth trying again with the new insights you’ve gained!” Linda believes.

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A small, oddly shaped carrot held between fingers, illustrating a gardening fail.

Two small eggplants in a hand, showcasing a gardening attempt with a less-than-mighty harvest.

The Mighty Harvest subreddit is for gardeners to boast their hilariously small yet wholesome gardening results. But, in general, the average garden enthusiast in the U.S.grows$600 dollars worth of food. The most popular veggie in American gardens is, interestingly,the tomato(though, I hear, it’s technically a fruit?)There are some interesting statistics on gardeners as well. Apparently, the majority ofgreen thumbsin the U.S. are gentlemen: 56.4% of gardenerssaythey’re men, and only 43.6% are women. Theaverage gardener’s ageis also somewhat surprising: it’s not just grandmas working in their gardens. Most enthusiasts are between 35 and 44 years old.

The Mighty Harvest subreddit is for gardeners to boast their hilariously small yet wholesome gardening results. But, in general, the average garden enthusiast in the U.S.grows$600 dollars worth of food. The most popular veggie in American gardens is, interestingly,the tomato(though, I hear, it’s technically a fruit?)

There are some interesting statistics on gardeners as well. Apparently, the majority ofgreen thumbsin the U.S. are gentlemen: 56.4% of gardenerssaythey’re men, and only 43.6% are women. Theaverage gardener’s ageis also somewhat surprising: it’s not just grandmas working in their gardens. Most enthusiasts are between 35 and 44 years old.

Colorful corn cobs held in a hand with a tattoo, showcasing gardening spirit without a mighty harvest.

Tiny tomatoes compared to a penny in a person’s hand, showcasing a gardening harvest failure.

A tiny tomato on a lip balm tube on a kitchen counter, symbolizing a humorous gardening fail.

Being a good gardener is like an art. You have to know which plants like the shade and which prefer the sun, which veggies grow better when they’re next to each other and which ones can’t ever get along, and that you can never plant mint seeds directly into the ground if you don’t want that monster overgrowing onto everything else in your herb garden.Mistakes happen, but beginners, naturally, make more mistakes than seasoned gardeners. So, let’s explore some of the most common mistakes veggie growers can make in their first years as green thumbs.

Being a good gardener is like an art. You have to know which plants like the shade and which prefer the sun, which veggies grow better when they’re next to each other and which ones can’t ever get along, and that you can never plant mint seeds directly into the ground if you don’t want that monster overgrowing onto everything else in your herb garden.

Mistakes happen, but beginners, naturally, make more mistakes than seasoned gardeners. So, let’s explore some of the most common mistakes veggie growers can make in their first years as green thumbs.

Unusual corn in a garden, symbolizing a failed harvest attempt.

A small green pea in a person’s hand symbolizes a gardening failure and a humorous lack of mighty harvest.

A small eggplant next to an egg, illustrating a gardening fail with no mighty harvest.

A good place to start is to pay attention to the food you’re giving your plants. Many experts say that good soil is the key to a healthy and productive garden. A great soil is nutrient-rich and has air pockets, and some enthusiasts prefer to make their own. Nicole Burke of Gardenaryusestopsoil, sand for drainage, and the magic ingredient – compost (mushroom is, in her opinion, the best).

A small green fruit on a person’s palm, with a curious cat inspecting it, illustrating a gardening fail.

A hand holding a small carrot with a long stem, illustrating a gardening attempt without a mighty harvest.

Hand holding two tiny, sliced fruits, showcasing a failed gardening harvest.

Some other things beginner gardeners should pay attention to are the plant’s season and in what climate it grows best. Novices often fail to understand that not every veggie that is in the supermarket grows year-round naturally. So, read the seed packet and check when it’s best to plant it in your climate.

Tiny apple held in a hand, showcasing a humorous gardening harvest failure.

Tiny pepper next to a finger, illustrating a humorous gardening harvest failure.

Tiny bananas being held, showcasing a gardening fail with no mighty harvest.

Just like humans, plants need food, but they also need water. Finding a balance between too much and too little can be hard, though. Signs of overwateringincludeyellowing leaves, wilting, edema, mold and algae, and rot. Underwatered plants will have dry, brown edges, they’ll droop, their leaves will be dropping, and the soil will be hard and compacted.

Tall sunflower growing beside a house, showcasing a humorous gardening fail.

Hand holding small vegetables demonstrating a gardening attempt with a small harvest.

Man smiling while holding a small watermelon, showcasing a gardening fail.

Seasoned gardeners also advise touse mulch. In short, you should keep your soil covered if you want to avoid erosion, runoff, and compaction. Exposed soil surfaces dry out and make it harder for water and nutrients to penetrate it. It can also help prevent the growing of weeds, as the mulch prevents weed seeds from getting sunlight, which they need to germinate.

Hand holding a small pineapple plant, highlighting a gardening fail with no mighty harvest.

A person holding a large zucchini with a small orange dot, showcasing a humorous gardening fail.

A hand holding a tiny jar of ground herbs, symbolizing a minimal gardening harvest.

When you’re starting your gardener’s journey, you might get overexcited and try biting off more than you can chew. Expert gardenersrecommendstarting small: list five of your favorite herbs and veggies, research them, and work on getting the best harvest out of them. Next year, add a couple more and go from there.

Hand holding tiny vegetables, illustrating a failed gardening harvest on a granite kitchen countertop.

Tiny green fruit next to a fork on a speckled surface, highlighting a gardening attempt with a small harvest.

Small lime next to a large grapefruit, illustrating a gardening attempt with a surprising harvest size.

If you want your garden to be as natural and eco-friendly as possible, work on a wildlife-friendly and pesticide-free garden. Australia-based gardener and author Casey Lister urges other gardeners to ditch insecticides, pesticides, and fungicides and invite predatory insects, birds, lizards, and frogs. “Ladybirds devour aphids, birds munch on caterpillars, frogs eat snails and slugs,” sheexplains.

Vegetables arranged in a smiley face, showing gardening spirit despite a lack of mighty harvest.

Hand holding tiny fruit and vegetable skewer in a gardening attempt.

Hand holding a small, oddly shaped eggplant, symbolizing a failed gardening harvest.

In the end, failing is a big part of gardening. You observe and learn new things, that’s how you become a better gardener. As Abra Lee, director of horticulture at Atlanta’s Oakwood Cemetery and Gardens,toldWaPo’s Cynthia R. Greenlee, “The garden will always defeat you.” In other words, nature will always nature.

Tiny green sprout in a person’s palm, symbolizing an unsuccessful gardening attempt for a “mighty harvest."

Blue pen next to a tiny green plant on graph paper, illustrating a failed gardening attempt at a mighty harvest.

Hand holding small, yellow oddly-shaped tomatoes; spirit of gardening with little harvest.

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Dried and shriveled strawberries in a pot, a humorous gardening fail without a mighty harvest.

A small, underdeveloped green cucumber held in a hand, showcasing a gardening attempt without a mighty harvest.

Tiny banana held in hand, illustrating a gardening fail with no “mighty harvest”.

Close-up of a hand holding a small, undergrown red strawberry, illustrating a gardening attempt without a mighty harvest.

Single tiny pepper on a white plate with crushed red pepper flakes, showcasing a gardening harvest fail.

A single blueberry on a small plant, illustrating a gardening attempt with minimal harvest.

Tiny watermelon with seeds, cut open, next to a coin, highlighting a humorous gardening attempt and small harvest.

Gardening fail: a small strawberry in hand next to a potted plant with lush green leaves.

A tiny garlic bulb held in a person’s hand, illustrating a gardening attempt without a mighty harvest.

Hand holding a tiny melon, showcasing a gardening attempt with a small harvest.

A long green cucumber held by a hand, set against a colorful woven rug, highlighting a gardening mishap.

Unsuccessful gardening attempt showing three small, oddly-shaped corn cobs on a dark surface.

Pineapple and bananas on a striped cloth, illustrating a gardening attempt without a mighty harvest.

Dog looking at a tiny tomato in a person’s hand, showing a gardening fail with no mighty harvest.

Lego figure gardening with a large tomato, symbolizing gardening spirit but lacking a mighty harvest.

Tiny tomato placed between fingers, showing a small gardening harvest.

Gardening attempt showing small harvested bulbs held in hand, demonstrating a less fruitful effort.

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Tiny orange fruit on a ruler, showing a failed gardening harvest.

Bowl of small cherry tomatoes in a garden, illustrating a humorous gardening attempt with a minimal harvest.

Tiny garden harvest with various small red berries next to a 2 euro coin on an open hand.

A hand holding a small, oddly shaped carrot, illustrating a gardening attempt without a mighty harvest.

Hand holding small, colorful corn cob, symbolizing a gardening attempt with a modest harvest.

Lemon with produce sticker and small seeds, illustrating a gardening attempt with no mighty harvest.

Person holding a tiny plant sprout, illustrating a gardening attempt without a mighty harvest.

Gardening fail: A tiny red vegetable held between fingers, showcasing a less-than-mighty harvest.

A small plant held above a pot, reflecting a failed gardening attempt without a mighty harvest.

A small carrot in a person’s hand, highlighting a gardening failure and lack of a mighty harvest.

Three small, oddly shaped green vegetables next to a coin on a wooden surface, illustrating a gardening fail.

A single yellow sunflower growing tall in a pot, symbolizing a gardening attempt without a mighty harvest.

A hand holding a small banana with its skin peeled back, humorously illustrating a gardening fail.

A hand holding two small potatoes, symbolizing a gardening attempt without a mighty harvest.

Person holding a deformed tomato in a kitchen, illustrating a gardening fail without a mighty harvest.

Small, unsuccessful garden harvest laying on a paper towel, showcasing tiny root vegetables.

Person holding a small, unripe ear of corn, illustrating a gardening fail.

A small banana, illustrating a humorous gardening fail with a surprising harvest size.

Hand holding a tiny tomato, highlighting a humorous gardening harvest fail.

Failed gardening harvest with small tomatoes and few green beans on paper towels.

Close-up of a small green seed resting in a person’s palm, highlighting a gardening failure without a mighty harvest.

Hand holding a small seedling with roots exposed, illustrating a gardening attempt that didn’t yield a mighty harvest.

Gardening fail: Small sunflower beside a wooden fence with a thumbs-up gesture nearby.

Failed gardening attempt with a single corn kernel on a cob.

Hand holding a tiny carrot, highlighting a humorous gardening failure.

Tiny tomato harvest next to a coin, highlighting a gardening misadventure.

Hand holding small potatoes, illustrating a gardening attempt without a mighty harvest.

Tiny, shriveled strawberry on a wooden surface, highlighting a gardening fail and absence of a mighty harvest.

Tiny watermelons sliced open, showing a humorous gardening failure with no “mighty harvest”.

A small tomato in a hand, under sunlight, showcasing a gardening attempt without a mighty harvest.

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