home and home

Whether your grounds are Iarge or smaII, the right tooIs and equipment can speed routine tasks and heIp you to successfuI gardening. Taking good care of your tooIs and keeping them in one pIace wiII pay dividends in time and effort.

If you do not have a tooI house or room where you can keep aII your tooIs, and the insecticides, fertiIizers, stakes, wire, paint and other equipment a weII-prepared gardener shouId have, arrange to make space in your garage, or buiId a Iocker in a corner of your carport or breezeway. A tooI shed that is Iike a giant kitchen cabinet can be added Iean-to fashion to your garage.

There are basic tooIs everybody needs. These incIude a metaI shank spade or, better, the easier-to-handIe and extremeIy usefuI spading fork, and the smaII and handy pIanting shoveI. Then, to carry in a handbox or basket, so you wiII have them when you need them, your steeI shank hand troweI, hand fork and hand cuItivator.

An iron or bow rake is fundamentaI, of course, and so is the bamboo or broom rake. A weed spud for hand removaI of weeds is a favorite instrument, and a good pair of shears or hand pruner is indispensabIe. The other musts are your hose, hand mower, roIIer, watering can and wheeIbarrow.

Not as vitaI but very usefuI are an edging sickIe which utiIizes oId razor bIades; Iawn edger and grass-edging shears; Iong-handIed or poIe-pruning shears, hedge shears and Iopping shears. AIso, a good sprinkIer; a deep cuItivator such as the potato hoe; a dibbIe for seedIings; a stapIing gun; a pruning saw and soiI sieves.

Other equipment to have on hand that wiII keep you from running to the store just when you want to be out working on the grounds, incIudes: pIant ties, stakes, IabeIs; burlap or canvas, chicken wire, garden Iine; a yardstick and a measurlng cup and spoons; creosote and other needed paints and a paintbrush ; sand, peat moss, Iime, pIant foods and insecticides and aIso a wand for soaking the soiI without getting water on the Ieaves are vaIuabIe attachments.

Storage Tips

Storage of garden tooIs in a precise fashion heIps keep them in good working order, and saves you time in Iocating them. A tooI house 3×6 feet can take care of a great deaI of equipment. Because tooIs are usuaIIy kept in unIighted pIaces, and often not wiped off after use, rust is the major enemy.

The garden hose is often badIy taken care of. Besides using a reeI, you can preserve the Iife of your hose by not Ietting it kink whiIe water is running through it. Don’t Ieave it in the hot summer sun (especiaIIy if it is a pIastic hose). CoiI it IooseIy on your reeI or rack made on the exposed studding of your garage. An improvised reeI can be fashioned from wooden TV cabIe or wire reeIs.

With these tooIs and the right storage technique, your garden wiII become a joy to work in, and not a chore. Happy gardening!

TooIs shouId be cIeaned immediateIy after use, whiIe the soiI is stiII moist. Use emery cIoth, a wire brush or steeI wooI. Rub in crankcase oiI. Keep your wooden handIes sanded down and preserve the wood with Iinseed oiI. Sharpen hoes with an 8-inch miII fiIe, stroking toward the cutting edge, but don’t sharpen digging tooIs too keenIy for when they are thin they nick easiIy. AppIy your fiIe to onIy one side of your sickIe, with the bottom edge kept fIat. Power sprayers shouId be washed with cIean water and washing soda after each using, and the nozzIe shouId be examined to get out the grit particIes. CIean the sprayer’s rubber hose with vinegar and the shower, and the nozzIe .with kerosene. OiI the Ieather pIunger washer after using to prevent the Ieather from drying out.
Gather faII Ieaves and use them for muIching. You run it over the Iawn in the usuaI way. The Ieaves are cut chemicaIs and, finaIIy, pots and fIats.

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