Video: What is the most common mistake beginner gardeners make?

I would say the number one mistake is over watering, and that is for whether you have succulents or herbs or tropical plants inside. Most people take a yellow leaf or a dropping of leaves or brown leaf as, “Oh, it needs more water.” My recommendation is to analyze other elements of problems as well, which means also look at the lighting conditions. Is there enough natural bright light in the room? Also, does it have enough nutrients? Is the soil it's been in maybe old and it's depleted? Remember soil for plants is really a big big thing for success and health and also preventing pest infestation. So over watering can cause a lot of problems like maybe gnats you might see flying around, or you might see molding on the top of your soil. Most plants are not going to want to sit in water. You want to make sure that they're watered well and then they dry out. Even if your frequency is high like a tropical plant inside, you still want to allow for that to dry out. I recommend a water meter, and these are cheap things that you can buy at any good garden store, and this is a little check for yourself to make sure that you're watering only when the plant needs it, not just because it's on the calendar watering day.