Everything about these myths is unproven, of course, and, therefore, should be discouraged. While searching online you will come across several myths, but we have shortlisted a couple of them which are completely baseless, to begin with.
So, without further ado, let us debunk five garden myths that people still believe them to be true:
1. Spraying or plucking dandelions keep them out
Well, it is true that plucking dandelions does the job, but only for a short time because dandelions find their way back—there are so many blowing around that you cannot possibly control their reach.
The best way to prevent their growth is by maintaining a bushy lawn so that the dandelion seeds find it difficult to grow.
If you need some incentive to let dandelions grow in your garden, then consider a fact that they were a very healthy source of food for many centuries.
2. Watering plants in the afternoon cause leaves to burn
The myth is that if you water your plants during the daytime, then the water droplets on the leaves will create some kind of lens effect resulting in your leaves getting burnt due to focussed sunlight.
The myth has been categorically rejected in a 2010 study conducted by a team of physicists based in Budapest. With the help of clinical tests and computer modeling, it was able to show that the myth needs to be debunked quite immediately.
Well, one more myth down the drain!
3. When they wilt, they need water
It is a commonly held belief that wilting is an indication that leaves require moisture and hence it is time to water them. Well, this is not necessarily true.
Anything that harms plant roots can result in wilting. There could be many reasons for wilting such as too much watering, too less watering, and whatnot. Wilting is also caused by a few plant diseases and pests that reduce the hydration of the plant.
If you really want to know why the plants are wilting, you will have to check on the moisture of the soil, and not make baseless assumptions.
4. Drought-resistant plants can do without water
Well, just because they can survive without water for longer periods does not mean that they do not require water at all. If these plants do not get enough water during the planting as well as the first season of development, then they will wither away. Shocking?
During the subsequent seasons, these plants require less amount of water, but they do need it anyway. They will not be able to utilize their strong water retention capacity if there is no water to store in the first place!
5. Do not water after sunset
It is a myth, a really common one, but trust us, you can water the plants after sunset—and there are advantages. One such advantage is that there is no evaporation since there is no sunshine.
There is, however, a major demerit and that is some plants do not like the idea of cold and wet foliage.
