Gardening is a hobby that gives you something really tangible: if done right, it can sustain you. In the U.S., growing your own food is quite popular. According to Raleigh Realty, 55% of American households have a garden.
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 Mighty Harvest subreddit.
More info: Reddit
#1 I Did It, I Grew A Watermelon!
Image credits: thebourgeois
#2 So Excited For My First Ever Eggplant Harvest! I'll Feed My Family For Nanoseconds With This Haul. Recipe Suggestions?
Image credits: ZodFrankNFurter
#3 Well, At Least It's Pretty
Image credits: CTX800Beta
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 of green thumbs in the U.S. are gentlemen: 56.4% of gardeners say they're men, and only 43.6% are women. The average gardener's age is also somewhat surprising: it's not just grandmas working in their gardens. Most enthusiasts are between 35 and 44 years old.
#4 I Was So Excited When I Saw A Quarter-Sized Carrot Top Poking Through The Soil 😑
Image credits: Levangeline
#5 I Found Even Smaller Tomatoes
Image credits: No_Lack5414
#6 My Brother's Bountiful Corn Harvest!
Image credits: xx2983xx
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.
#7 Bountiful Harvest
Image credits: ApolloBollo
#8 Apple Pie Anyone?
Image credits: lita_elf
#9 Should I Soak The Olive Or Turn It Into Oil?
Image credits: MactionSnack
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 Gardenary uses topsoil, sand for drainage, and the magic ingredient – compost (mushroom is, in her opinion, the best).
#10 Eggplant (Egg For Scale)
Image credits: StrangeQuark1221
#11 My Only Cucumber This Year
Image credits: TheDMGothamDeserves
#12 I Think I Can Open A Soup Kitchen Now
Image credits: Horror_Structure603
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.
#13 Update From My Lemon Tree
Image credits: OnePaleontologist598
#14 I Was Told You Guys Would Appreciate This. Behold: My Ghost Pepper
Image credits: JMDubbz85
#15 If I Store It Correctly, This Carrot Should Last My Family All Winter!
Image credits: Cowboy_Like_Me-
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 overwatering include yellowing 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.
#16 Pineapple Pizza Toppings For Everyone!
Image credits: sirene77
#17 My Sister Just Handed Me This
Image credits: Project_Valkyrie
#18 I Planted Bananas On My Backyard
Image credits: Afraid-Procedure5351
Seasoned gardeners also advise to use 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.
#19 Yesterday’s Mighty Harvest Is Today’s Breakfast!
Image credits: Nemset
#20 Decided To Harvest All Of My Chives To Make Chive Powder. Behold My Mighty Chive Powder Stash
Image credits: AidecaBlu
#21 Eggplant Smaller Than An Egg
Image credits: Episquender
When you're starting your gardener's journey, you might get overexcited and try biting off more than you can chew. Expert gardeners recommend starting 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.
#22 Just Thinking About All The Stew We Will Have
Image credits: Crystalyze13
#23 My Neighbors Sunflower Has A Comically Small Bloom For It's Massive Size
Image credits: samanthablanks1
#24 My First Ripe Habanero, And A Zucchini That Hid Under Weeds And Avoided Detection. The Zucchini Was Kind Enough To Say Hi To Me When I Found It! The Habanero Has Been Eaten And Was Nowhere Near As Spicy As I'd Expected
Image credits: ZodFrankNFurter
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," she explains.
#25 Recipe Says To Use Two Lemons
Image credits: Strangeling3
#26 10 Generations Of My People Will Never Know What It Feels Like To Be Hungry!
Image credits: PraiseTheRiverLord
#27 My $100 Water Bill Watermelon
Image credits: Clear-Sport4461
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, told WaPo's Cynthia R. Greenlee, "The garden will always defeat you." In other words, nature will always nature.
#28 Behold This Giant Lime - My First Lime Harvest
Image credits: Musasmelody
#29 Alas, I Fear The Gallons Of Tomato Soup I Will Make With This Bountiful Harvest Will Mold Before It Can All Be Eaten. No One Could Ever Consume Such Quantity :(
Image credits: herfjoter
#30 Time To Learn How To Preserve Asparagus, We'll Swim In It Soon!
Image credits: magic-creator
Let this list of harvesting fails not discourage you from your gardening endeavors, green thumb Pandas. Instead, may it inspire you to start planning your first mini garden. Whether you start with a few herbs or feel confident enough to tackle tomatoes or peas, don't forget to share your plans with us in the comments! And if you want to see more pics of hilariously bad harvests, head over here, here, here, and here!
#31 Cucumbers Turned Out Great
Image credits: greenwitch_444
#32 Just Need A Tiny Bottle Of Champagne And A Tiny Hot Tub
Image credits: Natasha10005
#33 I Am Officially A Strawberry 🍓 Farmer
Image credits: Timeon
#34 I Was Told You Would Appreciate This
Image credits: Majestic-Hippo-146
#35 Behold! Out Of My Ten Blueberry Bushes!
Image credits: sneakybrat82
#36 Watered Every Day For Months
Image credits: RadiantlyRose
#37 Strawberry Shortcake, Anyone?
Image credits: saucity
#38 I Don't Have Enough Space In My Refrigerator, Anyone Want To Share?
Image credits: ShockFreak
#39 A Bountiful Harvest! Cornbread For All…!
Image credits: AwkwardDilophosaurus
#40 We Feast! Obligatory Bananas For Scale
Image credits: Ongoing_Disaster
#41 Very Large Banana
Image credits: PeacockSwag
#42 Chili Bean Is Embarrassed By The Bountiful Harvest
Image credits: pikadegallito
#43 Today’s Large Harvest!
Image credits: Nemset
#44 I Think I Might Make Some Onion Rings
Image credits: SquidwardP*nis
#45 Many, Many Teeny Tiny Tomato Sandwiches In My Future
Image credits: DollChiaki
#46 We're Making It Through The Winter With This One
Image credits: Eben_D
#47 Onion Soup, Anyone?
Image credits: UneCitron
#48 Hello! I Was Told To Post My Tomatoes Here. 🍅
Image credits: Melomakarono69
#49 Biggest 'Cumber I Got
Image credits: Calavore
#50 My S*xy, Voluptuous Carrot
Image credits: clockwork0orange
#51 Harvested My First Corncob
Image credits: AKay0123
#52 This Tomato Is Way Too Big For My Basket
Image credits: Crystalyze13
#53 Lemonade, Anyone? (Normal Lemon For Scale)
Image credits: Four_Five_Four_Six_B
#54 Jalapeno Anyone? 😏
Image credits: esorzil
#55 The Sun Shined Down, The Rain Poured Forth, And We Were Blessed With A Mighty Tomato Harvest
Image credits: KaleidoscopeSad7730
#56 The Whole Block Will Feast Tonight 💪
Image credits: treetop62
#57 I've Been Blessed With Cucumbers This Year
Image credits: abraabraka
#58 Behold My Mighty Sunflower!we’ll Be Eating Seeds All Winter
Image credits: saucity
#59 B A N A N A
Image credits: vishli84000
#60 Potatoes For Days!
Image credits: KellyMcAnnD
#61 What Should I Do With All My Leftover Watermelon After I Cut This Up?
Image credits: benphillips_
#62 My Mom’s Quote “Cherry Tomato.”
Image credits: zacandlegos
#63 I'll Be Baked All Winter
Image credits: haldeigosh
#64 16 Weeks Of Growing Turnips
Image credits: aquamarinealyssa
#65 Don’t Know How I’m Gonna Can It All!
Image credits: RedTourmas
#66 Free Lemonade For All!
Image credits: EntertainerSad
#67 A Bountiful Harvest Bestowed Upon The Land
Image credits: SkogMum
#68 My Huge "Beefsteak" Tomato Harvest. Nothing Beefy About Them
Image credits: jmsspring
#69 Two Watermelons Should Last Me Through The Rest Of The Summer For Sure
Image credits: sammiejo427
#70 I’m So Proud ☺️
Image credits: Prudent_Direction752
#71 I Will Also Have Bulk Sunflower Seeds
Image credits: skipyeahbuddy
#72 Prayers Have Been Answered — An Entire Kernel!
Image credits: CactusJuiceLtd
#73 3 Months Later 😅
Image credits: Alittlecock
#74 Salsa For Everyone!
Image credits: Multigrain_Migraine
#75 A Bountiful Harvest Of Potato Indeed
Image credits: stab_me_
#76 Imagine How Many Smoothies I Can Make
Image credits: xoSillyTrinketxo
#77 My Awesome Tomato Harvest
Image credits: Organic-Criticism-76
