Pleasant Valley Plant Farm

  Over the years I’ve seen and used a lot of different garden tools and gadgets. Few were as useful as I had hoped them to be.  Here is a list of the ones that I found to be useful and some reasons why.

    HAND TOOLS :

Shovel, Garden Spade, Garden Rake, Leaf Rake, Cultivator Rake, Pointed Hoe, Flat Hoe and the Hula Hoe.

  Concerning these, the short handled types are OK for small quick jobs, but long handled ones are easier on your back for bigger projects.  The Hula Hoe works great for up close to and in between the plants in the rows, and for quick touch up weeding jobs.

Hand held Pruning Shears, Hand Trowel Set and a Soil Knife with Sheath.

  Pruning shears are pruning shears, but I find that the folding pocket kind can give me troubles.  Hand trowel sets are fine for beds and planters, but in the field, the Soil Knife works better, has more uses and looks more manly.  Just call me “ Rambo of the Garden “.

    WHEELED TOOLS :

Wheel Barrow, Hand Cart, Two-Tiered Wagon, Cultivator Wheel, Garden seed Planter and Hose Reel Cart.

  The wheel barrows with wheels on the sides are more stable, but are a bit clumsy to drive around; compared to the single front wheel type.  Plastic barrows aren’t as durable as metal ones, but are usually cheaper and more prevalent these days.  You still can’t beat the hand cart for bulky or heavy loads and ease of maneuverability.  The two-tiered wagon is a good portable workbench as well as a large capacity transport cart.  The cultivator wheel is a gardens best friend when used regularly.  For large gardens, the garden seed planter literally makes seed planting a “ walk in the garden”.  Although the fertilizer attachment is awkward to use.  A hose reel cart is a great way to store your hose and keep it tidy.  It encourages you to roll it up, out of the way, resulting in less tripping and falling !!!

    Water and Chemical APPLICATORS :

Water Wand, Chemical Siphon Thing, Rose-pattern Sprinkler Bucket, Soaker Hose, Insecticide Dust Applicator and  Back-Pack Sprayers.

  The water wand is probably the most used tool of all.  Therefore, I have worn out a bunch of them.  Of the many kinds I’ve tried, most disappointed me.  What I now look for in a wand is that it has a ‘full flow’ trigger or shut-off valve, so water pressure isn’t decreased.  Also I prefer the removable sprinkle head type, so I can choose the right spray pattern for different jobs I do.  The ones with the multiple patterns in one head seem to cut down the water flow, which translates into more time spent watering .  For larger gardens, the siphon thing makes fertilizing quicker and simpler by allowing you to apply it through the garden hose, as opposed to mixing single batches in a sprinkler bucket.  Once the proper ratio of water soluble  fertilizer and water have been mixed in tub or bucket, insert the siphon tube and water as usual.  Instructions come with the siphon thing.  The rose pattern sprinkler bucket sprays the water upward and falls to earth in a gentle rain like manner, perfect for young seedlings and fresh transplants.  Soaker hoses are good for tall crops that regular sprinklers can’t water evenly, and for watering during windy or hot summer days, when sprinklers tend to loose a lot of water to evaporation.  The black recycled tire kind should be handled carefully when setting them out, moving, or rolling them up, as they can become brittle and break if treated roughly.  The hand cranked bug dust applicator works much better than the old coffee can with holes poked in the lid . that I grew up using.  Although the handle should be redesigned to not give you blisters ( wear gloves !!! ).  The attachment that shoots the dust upward so you can treat the underside of the plant leaves, helps you do a more effective job of dusting.  Goodbye, potato bugs !!!  When it comes to sprayers, if you use them often or for large areas, then the back-pack type are more efficient and easier to use.  You should have two of them.  One for herbicides and one for insecticides.  Label them as such, so you don’t get them mixed up.

    PERSONAL GEAR :

Gloves, Knee Pad, Pocket  Multi-Tool, Produce Gathering Bag, Brimmed Hat, Portable Radio, Beverage Cooler, Beverage Cover, Tweezers and Band Aids.

  Gloves not only keep your hand cleaner, but also prevent injury from blisters, splinters, thorns, bug bites, sharp edged things and skin reactions to chemicals and allergens.  They work best if you remember to wear them.  Gardeners spend a lot of time on their knees planting, weeding and praying for good weather.  I like the rectangular pad you lay out in front of you. The individual strap on knee pads are OK, but I seem to spend more time adjusting them than working.  A pocket multi-tool, with knife, pliers, and screwdriver tips will come in handy for many instances in the garden.  I seem to use mine several times a day. When shopping the garden for groceries, a produce gathering bag is a good thing to have along.  The expandable type with different sections for different produce is my favorite.  A hat that keeps the blaring sun off your face, a portable radio, a beverage cooler and beverage cover help you work for longer periods to get the job done.  I keep a tweezers and a couple of band aids in a baggie in my pocket, for when I forget to wear my gloves.

    HELPFULL GADGETS :

Collapsible Lawn & Leaf Bag,Corner Hose Guides, Long Reach Pick-up Tool, Tool Bucket Apron, Frost Alarm, Deer Netting and Whirly Gigs.

  The collapsible lawn and leaf bag is my favorite gadget of the decade.  There’s always a mess somewhere that needs to be cleaned up.  The lawn bag is light weight, very portable and plenty large when opened, but takes up very little space when collapsed for storage.  Corner hose guides save you a lot of frustration.  They eliminate most of the tangling, kinking and walking back and forth, and protect the hose from damage.  A long reach pick-up tool makes quick work of cleaning up litter, recovering items in hard to get to places or picking up something gross and will save your aching back.  Tool bucket aprons let you conveniently take the tools and things you may need for a garden job to the site in a well organized fashion and is great for storage.  The frost alarm, as much as I hate being woken up before sunrise, has saved the crop many times by warning me of adverse temperatures.  In the greenhouse, it let’s me know if the heater stopped working at night or if the temperature gets too hot during the day.  Outside , it tells me when to get up and cover the beans.  For protection from animal damages, bird and deer netting and whirly gigs can help a lot, but can get in the way of garden maintenance and the netting can get critters tangled up in it.  I’ve caught my dog a few times, as well as a few unfortunate birds.  The whirly gigs, when placed about ten feet apart from each other, will vibrate the ground in the area discouraging underground critters from entering in to eat your carrots and potatoes.  Not fool proof, but seems to help, at least when the wind blows.  They also add some decorative touch and interest to the garden.

  HELPING HANDS and COMPANIONSHIP :

  This is my wife , the best garden gadget ever made !!!