Gardeners Say They'll Never (Ever) Grow These Plants Again

Avid gardeners will tell you that figuring out which plants will thrive in their yard is part of the joy (and agony) of the outdoor activity, with a lot of trial and error needed. But sometimes you just have to admit defeat when it comes to certain herbs, flowers, and crops.

One Redditor posted a question asking, "What’s the one plant you’ll never try growing again, and why?" Most commenters mentioned vegetables, saying that it's oftentimes cheaper to buy them at the grocery store than attempt to grow them in the garden. Here are some common plants that came up among the Reddit gardener responses.

Onions

"As my friend put it, 'you plant a small onion and get a slightly bigger onion.' They are so cheap to buy I do not bother," wrote one Redditor. Another commenter shared their struggle: "I've been trying to grow onions for a few years now, but I'm doing something wrong. I don't know how much they're going for right now, but I use them in so many dishes and they have a long shelf life, so I thought I gotta grow 'em … but no luck."

One commenter suggested growing green onions instead of yellow ones, adding that "I grow lots of green onions, and they’re one of my favorite plants! I’ll never have a garden without them. Other onions are harder in my experience and have less financial return, but I highly recommend green onions."

Squash and Zucchini

"Never ever again!" wrote one Reddit gardener, citing powdery mildew and pests as the reasons for giving up on the plants. Another wrote: "Squash vine borers, however, are the reason I never grow summer squash. They are impossible." Squash bugs were a common complaint for other gardeners, too, noting that it's the reason they had to give up on growing squash.

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Cilantro

"Cilantro and me have been in an ongoing battle for many years. It always dies just as my tomatoes are coming out. It’s never around when it comes time to make salsa," commented one Redditor. "Yes! It's one of the cheapest herbs to buy and one of the most stressful to grow. Not worth it, I'll just pay the 99 cents to add it to my groceries every week," another gardener said.

Broccoli

Broccoli was another vegetable that made the list, with many citing that it attracts pests like white flies, aphids, and earwigs. It's "just not worth the time, effort, space, and all that," wrote one Redditor. Another added that it's "not worth the time and effort to get one head of broccoli. I’m only growing things that are abundant with minimal effort."

Mint

Several gardeners in the forum also mentioned mint, noting that it spreads like wildfire and is hard to get rid of. "It took over my whole bed despite being in a pot," wrote one poster, while another said, "It took concrete to stop it from coming back."