The 'Good Breakfast Theory'

This is probably one of the most important but little appreciated fundamentals of gardening and growing. Once this idea is firmly in your head, you will find gardening makes more sense and success is within reach.

The Good Breakfast Theory simply means if you get a plant (or garden) off to good start, it will never look back.

In technical terms, if you can remove as many of the limiting factors that prevent growth or development as possible, just like a small child, the plant will grow and prosper without restrictions. So your checklist for a plant, shrub or tree will be - right plant/right place - good cultivated soil or compost - adequate drainage - correctly planted and supported - sufficient water and nutrients - control pests or diseases? If you can get all these in place and keep them there, there's not much to go wrong.

If you miss out any one or more of the above, it stands to reason the plant growth will to some extent be limited. Plants have an inbuilt mechanism that automatically restricts their growth if all is not well. You can see this in plants that grow in wall cracks or gutters for example. They keep themselves short and stunted because everything they need is scarce and could run out at any time.

Keep the Good Breakfast Theory checklist in mind next time you buy and plant!