Gardening – How to Use the Right Tools to Maintain Your Garden
Article by Tom Myers
There is nothing finer than cooking dinner with herbs and vegetables from your own garden. Having a thriving garden gives you a greater connection to the Earth and is a low-cost way of giving yourself a happiness boost every day. Use these tools to protect your garden from pests.
1. Use a Covered Frame
A covered frame is a large wooden box or shed. The size can vary according to your needs, but think 18-20 inches by 2-3 feet at the base, and 6-8 feet high. A covered frame should be covered by mosquito netting, cloth or glass. Cloth or glass will provide a degree of insulation as well as pest control. A covered frame is one of the best means to protect your garden from pests.
2. Paper Collars
Many new plants succumb to the cut worm. Try paper collars to block the cut worms from getting at your young plants. The paper collar can be made of stiff cardboard, tin, or tar and should be large enough to wrap entirely around the stem of your plant, go at least an inch into the ground, and should be 2-3 inches of height from the ground.
3. Pesticide or Poison Dispensers
The most versatile type of poison or pesticide dispenser for a home garden is a compressed air sprayer that can be used by hand. This tool is for applying wet sprays and the nozzle should be adjustable so that you can dispense the product in various forms, i.e., a mist, a spray, etc. If you have a lot of ground to cover, you can consider a larger air sprayer that is mounted on wheels, but a hand-carried one should be sufficient for most small gardens. If you have hanging vines or trees, you will also need proper extension rods to expand your reach. I recommend that you purchase a brass sprayer because the powerful chemicals you are dispensing tend to corrode cheaper sprayers in short order. You get what you pay for.
4. Gardening Tools
The spade, the hoe and the spading fork are staple garden tools for a small garden. Try running a hand-plow on either sides of deep-growing vegetables, like carrots, to help get them out. You might also benefit from getting an onion harvester attached to your wheeled hoe. It can help you loosen onions and turnips and help you cut spinach. A good set of pruning shears is also a must.
There are many styles of garden tools available and numerous brands for each style. Try to keep things simple at first. Get the essential tools for your home garden. As your interest increases and you find your time spending more and more time, you can slowly add specialized tool to make certain tasks easier. Also remember to look to quality. Quality tools, although more expensive, will make your gardening easier and will far outlast cheap tools. Use the tools identified in this article to maintain your garden and to get happiness from it year after year.
About the Author
Tom Myers writes on a number of topics of interest to his readers. For more information on blonde hair dye or red hair dye, please click the preceding links.
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