MR VEG WORDS OF WISDOM 4

**Admin** · **Admin** on October 14th 2008, 11:38 pm

Tools Of The Trade.

There are many types of gardening tools that are used in
horticulture and just as many makes. Choosing the right tools is down to really
two choices, reputation of a brand and cost. Some seasoned gardeners will swear
by a certain brands saying that they have had many years of faithful service
yet others state that a spade is a spade no matter who’s brand it is. So I won’t be recommending any particular
brands, but try to buy the most suitable affordable tools you can and a drop of
oil can keep them maintained with a drop on springs to them keep rust free and
blades sharp.

Some of the tools described you will use on most days but
others are once a month or even twice a year. An easy example is a watering can
if the weather is dry you’ll use it every day yet if it’s always raining then
it’s more likely to be a home for spiders in the garden shed. Yet other tools like a digging spade will see a flurry of activity then stored until the next time of heavy digging to be
done. Some garden implements like a hose
can be time saving but can wash away soil and nutrients if left unattended!

There is a very useful tool on the market that has
been used by generations of gardeners, it comes in various sizes and is if well
looked after will give many good years service some may even say last a life
time. A tool that can be used in all weathers from hot summers days to cold winter frosty conditions and some claim the best tool for many gardening activities, one that can be every day for a variety of the growers tasks whether it’s weeding, watering, lifting, staking, digging and sowing plus many of the chores that needs to be done in the busy
plot.
You won’t be able to buy this in any gardens centres and as far as I’m an aware not even specialist tools catalogue - so where do I get this wonder tool?
The answer is straight in front of you ……….. It’s your hands!
-The best tool on the market ever invented for gardening!

But on serious note the list below is a good set of basic
tools, but you might be able to share with other growers or maybe a few get
together and buy some between yourselves

So The Basic Growers Tools.
Digging Spade, Fork, Hoe Dutch, Soil Rake,
Shovel, Wheelbarrow, Watering can, Bucket, Pen Knife, Secateurs, and Stout
Gardening Gloves.

The humble spade, no matter what you do into your gardening
adventure you will at some point need to do some digging. A good spade is an
essential item, price can vary between a few pounds for a cheapo to many for a
stainless steel spade, which could last up to 50 years, but unless you have
many pounds to invest in tools then a reasonable branded spade will do.

The fork is a much underused tool I feel it has many uses in
the garden, turning over soil, breaking up clods and weeding it can also be
used in lifting crops where as the spade will slice up root vegetables, the
fork is also used when moving compost and forking into the ground fertilizers
as with the spade a good reasonable brand will do for most jobs.

The hoe a gardeners friend with many uses from quick
clearance of weeds and vegetation, drawing out a drill in which to sow seeds, a
quick light agitation of the top inch or so of the soil. The secret of a good
Dutch hoe is to keep the business end, the blade quite sharp so it slices the
weeds and chops efficiently.

The soil rake as the name implies comb’s the soil and is
used primarily in making seed beds but can be used in general raking up
exercise although due to the small size if used for raking up it will take some
time.

The basic shovel should do for those shovelling jobs, best
to get a good stout metal one beware of the plastic ones they look pretty and
might be lighter but not up to the job when you may have 2/3 tons of top soil
to move

As with the shovel a wheelbarrow can have many uses moving
soil and bulky organic waste, moving tools from the garden shed to your plot it
even makes a restful lounger to relax on those hot sunny days

The watering can as the name implies for watering make sure
that if you use any herbicides (weed killers) that you don’t use the same one
for watering as no matter how much you may rinse out the can traces can remain
to poison your tender crops always label each can appropriately one for clean
and one for contaminated

A bucket is a very simple and useful piece of equipment used
for watering - soaking the roots of young plants prior to planting a handy
receptacle for collecting up weeds, mixing up composts, holding fertilizers,
transporting crops from the plot to the kitchen and a small bucket is handy for
holding and transporting to the plot all those small tools trowel, secateurs,
plant labels and string/plant ties - the ideal type is a kiddies one that is
used at the sea side just the right size and brightly coloured so is easy to see
in the dim light at the end of a day on the plot

A knife and secateurs two indispensable tools that have many
uses, a knife to cut open packets of seeds or compost used in the glass house
and on soft growth shoots for trimming, thinning side shoots and the secateurs
for those thicker stems, pruning apple, pear, blackcurrant and gooseberry and
of course roses

And finally a good pair of
stout gardening gloves, supple enough to handle tools and your knife/secateurs
but thick enough to protect you from thorns on some plants – I also would say
keeping your hands clean but getting grubby fingers and gritty skin is the fun
part of growing your own! -MR VEG