I WILL LEARN TO GROW (not kill) MY PLANTS, IF IT TAKES ME ALL YEAR, BUCKETS OF TEARS, AND LOTS OF CUSSING!!!

[Alice]

I hope.

I don't know why I suck at gardening, I've tried so hard. It seems everything I've tried to grow (admittedly, hasn't been much to date, mainly potted stuff) gets to my house / yard, and dies. So disheartening.

I did plants these purple cacti type things in a small section of ground after amending the dirt as well as I knew how, and they've taken off (out of control, I'm having to trim it often to keep it from taking over my walkway). But to be fair, these pants are known to be idiot proof. They'll grow anywhere and in abundance.

I really want to learn to be good at this. I want my own herb garden (can I use VC in that), I want flowers, and veggies, and a compost pile or bin (the bin I made last year is a wreck, I don't get the ratios and its basically just full of mostly clay dirt)

Perhaps I could throw everything in a pile (yard clippings) and put a wire fence around it to keep the of out...?

This WILL be the year I get the hang of gardening!

...right?

Pray for me.

[Nomar Cuaresma]

When it comes to potted plants the problems that usually occur are that you're not watering it or you're over-watering it. Much more likely the latter. Other problems are if your home is heated/air-conditioned or neither. If the plant gets too cold then it may die or go dormant. Another problem would be how much sun or light the plant gets in it's location and how much darkness it gets (plants grow in the dark not when there's light). Also, for outdoor plants, maybe it's your soil that's bad, planting it in the wrong place or wrong time(season)? VC is good for herbs. If you're making your own potting soil you have to understand that you can't use 100% VC, you have to mix it with other things like sand and clay (I don't know the ratio myself but I'm sure it just takes a little research).

Compost piles should have very little dirt (if any dirt) in the pile (VC would be a great addition to your compost pile). Half greens, half browns (you can't just have grass trimmings in a pile) that are mixed thoroughly together in a *moist but not wet* pile that's about 3-4 ft high and 3-4 ft in diameter, leave it alone for a week, turn it, leave it for 3 days, turn it, leave it for 3 days, turn it etc. Maybe mist the layers when you turn the pile. A chicken fence with some stakes to keep it upright is a great composting container; it allows great air flow and yes it would keep vermin from destroying the pile.

Hope this somewhat helps.

[Joseph Despins]

Unfortunately, plants that die on you just happens. I am still trying to learn how to grow moth orchids (Phalaenopsis) even after numerous failures. Learn from your experiences and keep trying.

What plants besides the cactus are you trying to grow?

[Metqa]

I feel your pain. I used to consider myself a plant rescuer. I'd go to nurseries and stores like Lowes and HDepot and buy the super discounted neglected plants or broken pieces that I got for free and take them home and bring them back. But lately, every plant I've bought from Lowes has DIED and it's only been a month. I know they have a return policy but that's just outright embarrassing even if THEY were the ones to originally abuse them to the point of death in the first place, I hate to admit I failed in reviving them! 

Nomar, thanks for the sand+compost comment, I didn't know you couldn't just grow them in VC, i would have tried for sure! LOL  I do know you can propagate in course sand, and it's great for good root growth for that purpose.

Alice, I want everything that you want; vegetables, herbs, flowers, a compost bin. I want the perfect garden and plants dying ruins that image, doesn't it! I managed to kill a rosemary bush ( they hadn't watered it for a week before I got it but I thought it would bounce back. Oh well, i guess I'll make rosemary chicken with the carcass.

Good luck and keep posting back.I want to know your success stories.