Posted by Lauren Schultz
In almost every person's life he or she will think "I should start my own garden!" Maybe one man daydreams about growing vegetables of his own. Another person may have his heart set on a luxurious rose garden. Whatever your reasons are for starting your own garden and no matter how big you want your garden to be, you are going to need specific tools to finish the job. Just about everything you do in a garden can be done using your hands (and your own personal brute strength). The right gardening tools will save you lots of time and effort. Use these gardening tools to help you as you work in your garden.
For the more delicate flowers and plants, a garden space can be incredibly useful to have on hand. Spades are fantastic for digging up or uprooting weeds. If you are worried about damaging the bases of your plants when you garden you can use the spade to help you avoid problems. When it comes time to plant your seeds the spade can be quite helpful. While you probably won't put the spade to use every single day that you work in your garden, the days when you have intricate work to do around your plants will make you glad that you have your spade on hand. Using your spade instead of your hands will save you lots of time and energy no matter what kind of gardening task you need to complete.
Garden carts are great for gardeners who have very large garden plots to tend or who need to haul large amounts of things from one place to another. A garden cart can be useful for hauling tools and other garden materials to and from your garden. You can also use the garden cart to move compost to the garden from the compost heap. The cart is a fantastic tool to have on hand when you have a lot of dirt that you need to haul away from your garden. For the most part, a garden cart is used to move things from point A to point B. If you're in a tight spot you can also use your wheelbarrow for these tasks. Every gardener needs hoes. Lots of new gardeners are sure that they won't ever need a hoe. To many new gardeners, hoeing a garden seems like a lot of unnecessary work. For gardeners with big gardens, hoeing is just one of those things you will have to get used to doing on a regular basis. Gardeners use hoes to make garden rows. Making garden rows is much easier to do from a standing position than a kneeling one. You can use the hoe to create an outline of the rows in which you will be doing your planting. It is for this purpose that you need a hoe that has a long handle. You might not believe this but using your hoe will save you more time than you can imagine while you are building your garden. Kneelers are also a good idea. Gardening is mostly done close to the ground so you will spend a lot of time balancing on your hands and knees. It is easy to make your own garden kneelers out of large pieces of Styrofoam or foam core. If you don't have these things on hand you can buy specially made gardening mats. Kneelers help to provide a barrier between your knees and the ground. These gardening tools also help you to protect your clothing from getting dirty and worn through. Even if you only have a small patch of garden in your yard, a pitchfork is a wonderful tool to have on hand. Pitchforks will do the same things that trowels and spades do but they do it bigger. Pitchforks are great earth turners, compost movers and soil aerators. If you have your own compost pile you will need to have a pitchfork because the pitchfork will help you turn your compost over as it decomposes. If you don't turn your compost pile regularly it will just harden up and you won't get any use out of it.
For gardeners who grow difficult plants a soil tester is a necessity. There are some plants that require the soil they grow in to have very specific nutrient contents and PH balances. If you know that you are going to plant "difficult" flowers or other plants, the soil tester can be used to tell you if your garden soil is good enough for those plants. This is obviously a tool that only incredibly serious gardeners need to have on hand. Orchid growers are a great example of people who can benefit from a soil tester because orchids have very specific growing needs. A soil tester is a very valuable tool for farmers who practice crop rotation because the soil tester will tell you which plot will work for which plants from year to year.
Gardening is a fantastic hobby (and occupation). As you learn more about gardening the more you will find yourself wanting to purchase the tools that you find at the plant store. Don't buy everything right away though, just start with a few basic tools! There are "must haves" and "luxury" gardening tools and the more time you spend gardening the easier it will be to tell the two apart. Gardening is relaxing. Playing in the dirt is something that many people report as being calming and soothing. Often gardeners start this hobby using only their hands. Using gardening tools instead of one's hands doesn't feel so awkward after a while. After some time you will be surprised to find that using gardening tools is so ingrained that you don't even need to think about it anymore. The more work you put into your garden the more natural working in your garden will start to feel. You might even learn that gardening is really fun! Lots of people enjoy gardening! Lots of gardeners take on this hobby because it is soothing and rewarding. This is especially true if you are growing spices, herbs, fruits or vegetables because you can eat them! Puttering around your own garden can even help you relax at the end of the day or on the weekend. Many gardeners enjoy gardening because they have control over the situation-they can garden at any time of year, in whatever location they choose and do as much of it as they want to do! Your gardening experience will only be enhanced with gardening tools because they save you so much time! It can take some time to figure out which gardening tools you need. As a new gardener you are going to want to buy everything the sales person offers you. Instead of giving in to temptation, start with a few simple tools you know you will use and then branch out later on. This way you won't have to worry about spending too much money or wasting valuable storage space. Before you know it, you'll know exactly which gardening tools you need to do to finish your gardening tasks.
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categories: Gardening,Hobbies
Tags: compost heap
Posted by Alison Janes
There are many top name manufacturers and hundreds of models on the market, so choosing the right petrol lawnmower for you, could be quite a problem. I think that the first step is to decide on which elements are crucial for your garden and how much you are able to spend. This will give you a good starting point.
If you go to a dealer with your list, he will be delighted to assist and very pleased to be able to eliminate so many possibilities before you even get started. If you are going to buy your petrol lawnmower online, then it is vital to go through these choosing key features steps in order to avoid a costly mistake.
Firstly, consider what you use your lawn for - is it a family area where children play, or is it very much for show and kept immaculate? If it is an area for family use, choose a rotary mower, if it is to be kept very short and trim, choose a cylinder mower for a pristine finish.
The next thing to take into consideration is whether you want to use your grass cuttings for mulch. If you do, you need to look at mowers that have a mulching deck or mulching feature. These cut up the clippings even smaller and blow them back out onto your lawn, putting nutrients back onto your grass each time you cut it. If you would rather use the cut grass in your compost heap, then it is important to get a mower with a grass box and the larger the capacity of that grass box, the fewer times you will have to stop and empty it.
There are many features that make a mower easier to use. Handles that are adjustable will be very useful if you are tall because otherwise you will end up bending when pushing the mower and end up with a bad back. If you haven't got much space to store your mower when it is not in use, choosing one with handles that can be collapsed right down will make things much easier. A pull cord start can often be difficult, especially for lady gardeners so why not make things easy for yourself and choose a model with an electric ignition key start?
If you want to find out more about a particular model you have identified as a potential candidate for your new mower, it is easy to use the internet and do a sear for reviews of that model. Amazon is a good place to look for customer reviews and other people's problems could save you ending up with a difficulty that is not going to be mentioned in the sales blurb.
The last thing I would say to you before you finally decide on the perfect petrol lawnmower for your garden, is to measure your gateways. If you cannot get your new mower through the gate, it could be a very expensive and embarrasing mistake to explain!
If you would like to find out more about choosing the right sort of petrol lawnmower for your garden, www.thepetrollawnmowerguide.com will help you decide whether it should be a cylinder petrol mower, a rotary mower or a ride on mower.
Tags: compost heap
Posted by Dick Gravinosa
A compostumbler can help eliminate any back pain you may experience from hand turning your homemade fertilizer. Because you need to turn your organic matter every week, you may get aches and pains in your arms and back. When the pile you are mixing gets large the pain gets worse.
Making your own compost is a great way to recycle your yard and food waste and turn them into a high quality soil addition, yet for various reasons not many people make their own humus. Studies have shown that one average household has seven hundred pounds of material a year that can create a great fertilizer. However, most of this matter ends up in a landfill.
As a gardener, you already know how important it is to have rich healthy soil. By using your own garden waste like grass clippings and dead plants plus kitchen scraps you can make your own fertilizer. You will no longer have to buy chemical fertilizers, you will reduce the amount of trash that you have, and your garden will thrive on the healthy soil you will make. Even though all of this sounds great, you may not have the time or energy to go outside, take care of your own compost heap and enjoy gardening. This is just one reason for looking into buying or making a compostumbler.
There are other justifications for having a compostumbler other than the relief of aches and pains. Some towns or cities put restrictions on having an exposed compost heap. If this is the case where you live the only way you will be able to recycle your plant and food waste is by having a closed compostumbler.
Another benefit of a container for recycling your plant and food waste is not having to worry about the animals getting into your garbage and making a mess. Or your neighbors complaining about the mess and odor that can come from your yard.
Studies show that keeping your recyclables in a compostumbler help them to decompose faster than if they were left outside uncovered. The color and the material of the tumbler create more heat inside and this causes the material to decompose faster. Plus, the aeration is better when you are turning the tumbler as opposed to turning a pile with a pitchfork.
You can purchase a compostumbler in a size that is best for you. If you have a large flower or vegetable garden you will probably want a large compost container. There are very large ones with two bins for filling. When one side is full, you can start on the next and have a constant supply of fresh fertilizer. If you live in a suburban area, a smaller unit may be better for you. These are perfect for people who do not have a lot of recyclable material or food waste.
One of the best things you can do for your soil is to add compost. It makes your soil healthier and that will give you bigger and better vegetables, plants and flowers. So if you can't take care of a pile of humus because of aches and pains or town restrictions, you should consider getting a compostumbler.
Richard Gravinosa loves his vegetable gardens. Read more about kitchen compost bins and back porch compost tumbler.
Tags: compost heap
Posted by Dunc Reid
Organic liquid feeds are used to provide plant nutrients quickly when a deficiency is suspected. As they contain the nutrients already in a form the plant can absorb through its roots or leaves they can fix an ailing plant in the short term. It is possible to prepare a feed that is rich in one or more needed ingredients such as nitrogen or potassium .
The favorite way to make an organic liquid feed is to use either a compost or an animal manure as the basis . A container will be filled with water and the solid material is suspended from a piece of wood across the top inside some sort of porous sack or item of hosiery. It takes one to two weeks and several stirrings before the feed can be used.
Depending on the quantities of materials used the finished feed will vary in strength. Feeds made from bird manures are always stronger. Use about one part liquid feed to forty to fifty parts water to feed plants.
Weeds such as stinging nettles, or specially grown comfrey leaves, are a rich source of nutrients and good for making a plant based liquid feed. Because they are bulkier than animal products two additional preparation methods can be employed. The simplest is to put the wilted leaves in the bottom of a container and add water and soak for several weeks. The second method needs a vessel with a tap at the bottom. Use the plant material to fill the vessel and then add weights to the top to compress the leaves. After a while a strong liquid will be exuded by the decomposing leaves and you can draw it off via the tap. After dilution this is good for peppers,cucumbers and tomatoes.
Another source would be any vegetable matter that provided it was soaked for at least four weeks would give a usable liquid and a remaining sludge that can be added to the compost heap.
Seaweed can be collected on the beach if it is oil free and taken home and washed and dried and then used to make a good liquid feed.
The easiest liquid feed of all is human urine, containing a lot of nitrogen, and usable without further preparation. Dilute a little before use.
How to Have More Garden for Less Money using ORGANIC LIQUID FEEDS,
Tags: compost heap
Posted by Wayne Allen
One of the thrills of gardening is making your own compost. In addition to this you will need to handle plants, soil, rocks, fertilizer and soil conditioner. A pair of gloves will not only come in handy it will be a necessity.
Composting is the process by which materials that are destined for the landfill are used to create nutritional products for the garden and lawn. Compost is a soil-like substance that will function as a soil conditioner, a mulch and fertilizer. It will feed your garden the microorganisms that plants need to grow healthy and strong.
It is best if the compost pile is located near your garden and at the same time has enough concealment to not affect the overall look of your garden. You want it to be close to the garden for convenience but you do not want visitors to see the compost heap. A corral or a fenced area would do fine.
After you set up your composting area you begin the compost pile by arranging a 3:1 ratio of brown and green materials. Green ingredients contain nitrogen the brown ingredients contain carbon. Together these components make up the foundation of a compost heap. The green organic items of gardening include grass clippings while the brown items are the dry leaves and other wood products.
If you are concerned about the possibility of a bad smell that would come out of your compost pile, don't worry about it. If you have the right combination of green and brown material you do not have to be concerned about a bad smell. Compost will have an earthy smell and it will not smell like rot.
One way to insure that your compost pile has the right combination of green and brown material is to collect a nice gathering of material before you make your pile. When you are ready to make your pile begin with a one part of green material and follow it up with three parts brown material. The next layer should be some very course material such as twigs or straw, aeration between the layers is very important. Think of a composting lasagna.
To get the process started quickly add some already composted material. This will help to start the process and introduce microbial activities in your compost heap.
Make sure that you add enough moisture to the pile. Dampness in the compost pile will help the breakdown of the organic materials . Think of a damp sponge.
If you care about the environment then you will be for a compost heap. This concept is about giving back to the land what it has already given you, and starting a compost heap is the best way to do that. You are welcome to reprint this article - but get your own unique content version here.
categories: kitchen compost,compost,compost crock,envirocycle composter,compost tumblers,compost waste,compost maker,compost barrel,garden composting,how to make compost bin,what is compost,worm compost bin,make a compost bin,urban compost
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Posted by Susan Honeywell
by Susan Honeywell
It can seem daunting to begin with an organic vegetable or herbal garden for the first time, but there are few better ways to be good to the planet while also being good to yourself and enjoying yourself.
If you already eat some organic herbs and vegetables, you will surely appreciate the better taste, the health benefits and also the lack of harmful residual substances. Imagine how great it would be if you had an organic garden that would furnish you wit a plentiful supply!
When starting with organic vegetable and herbal gardening, you should prepare a composting box as soon as you can. Good compost is by far the best fertilizer for your garden and also acts as natural pest control. Contrarily to popular belief, your compost heap will neither smell nor look unseemly.
Besides eliminating the need for fertilizer, compost retains moisture and therefore allows you to use less water on your organic garden. You can put all kind of kitchen refuse and garden cuttings on your compost heap, just make sure to avoid big quantities of meat or fish, and don't add human or pet dung! These are too acidic and also the wrong kind of bacteria.
You'll also need to source organic seeds or sprouts for your organic vegetable and herbal gardening project. In most cases, commercial seeds are not organic so you will have to make doubly sure to get the right starters.
If you can't find them in your local area, there are plenty of places where to get them online. Online usually mean more choices and flexibility as well as the convenience of home delivery, so we recommend this method to make sure that you are starting with organic vegetable and herbal gardening the best way.
Once you have the organic seeds, don't plant them outdoors right away but let them sprout inside the house, using organic soil in small pots. There isn't much that can go wrong at this stage, but avoid giving your seedlings them too much water or they will drown.
Once your little plants have grown two leaves, you should repot them into biodegradable pots and later bury these in your garden. You can of course also go for an indoor window garden for your herbs. These make additions to windowsills and beautify the house.
Now that you have compost and grown seedlings, you will also need good organic soil. This earth is much better as it acts as a natural pest controller, and will let your plants grow more vigorous. If you had a on-organic garden or flower bed where your organic garden is going to be planted, we recommend removing and substituting a layer of old soil altogether.
Once the compost is ready, use it as a top layer on your soil. About five or six centimeters think is good for outdoor use. When you water, the nutrients will slowly seep through you your organic plants' roots and the garden will thrive. You are on the right way to a serious supply of organic herbs and vegetables.
About the Author:
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OrganicHerbalGardening.com gives you all the tips and info on
organic gardening. Are you a seasoned self-grower, or are you just starting out? Make sure that you know all there is to know about
herbal gardening by following a link above.
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