1. A food processor was mentioned....should work well. I use a
blender for reducing kitchen waste to liquid form. Also use the
blender to chop charcoal to tiny pieces and powder.
2. A "remote" thermometer, the kind with the probe and wire, makes a
great soil and compost pile temperature taker. Straighten the probe,
split a piece of bamboo on the small end and lay the probe in the slit
and duck tape it in place well, wrap the lead up the length of the
bamboo and tape or whatever the readout on the "handle" end.
3. Compost sifter. Thirty gallon or larger plastic trash can with
lid. Invert the lid and cut out a large (most of the lid)circular
hole, cut a piece of wire mesh (I used 1/2 x 1 inch) to fit the lid.
After shaking and sifting, the trash can is easy to drag about the
garden.
4. Leaf/straw/whatever chopper. Same trash can and use a weed
whacker to pulverize leaves in the can. Believe it or not, most stays
in the can...again, easy to haul about.
5. Dibble. Plain...stick. Fancy...handle end of broken shovel
handle.
6. Tomato cages, arbors, vining supports...cattle panels, cut to
whatever size you need. Ideas and photos...
http://davesgarden.com/tools/tags/tag.php?tag=cattle+panel
7. Watering cans. The big containers of cat litter. Drill holes in
lid.
8. Pepper supports...use cheap conical tomato supports that won't
support tomatoes.
9. Paper shredder...reduces newspapers for composting, mulch, and worm
food.
10. Five Galen buckets for container gardening. One bucket easily
supports a pepper plant, eggplant, tomato, etc. Drill drain holes.
White ones reflect sun and keep roots cooler.
11. I use a two gallon sprayer for watering seedlings that I start.
Low pressure. Easy to water all without moving the flats.
12. Alfalfa meal. Cheap soil and compost amendment. Alfalfa chops
with molasses...also cheap, not as fine as meal.
13. Rolls of jute twine are a necessity. Don't use twisty-ties or
the stretchie-plastic stuff. You'll find it in your garden forever.
14. Cut pieces of mini-blinds, written on with *pencil*, for plant
markers
There are more, but these come quickly to mind.
Charlie
"Charlie" wrote in message
> 7. Watering cans. The big containers of cat litter. Drill holes in
> lid.
Large plastic containers like this also make good drip watering systems.
Just poke holes around the perimeter about an inch off the bottom (the extra
inch of water left in the bottom anchors the container so it won't blow
away). Easy to refill with a hose.
--S.
<Charlie> wrote:
> 1. A food processor was mentioned....should work well. I use a
> blender for reducing kitchen waste to liquid form. Also use the
> blender to chop charcoal to tiny pieces and powder.
>
> 2. A "remote" thermometer, the kind with the probe and wire, makes a
> great soil and compost pile temperature taker. Straighten the probe,
> split a piece of bamboo on the small end and lay the probe in the slit
> and duck tape it in place well, wrap the lead up the length of the
> bamboo and tape or whatever the readout on the "handle" end.
>
> 3. Compost sifter. Thirty gallon or larger plastic trash can with
> lid. Invert the lid and cut out a large (most of the lid)circular
> hole, cut a piece of wire mesh (I used 1/2 x 1 inch) to fit the lid.
> After shaking and sifting, the trash can is easy to drag about the
> garden.
>
> 4. Leaf/straw/whatever chopper. Same trash can and use a weed
> whacker to pulverize leaves in the can. Believe it or not, most stays
> in the can...again, easy to haul about.
>
> 5. Dibble. Plain...stick. Fancy...handle end of broken shovel
> handle.
>
> 6. Tomato cages, arbors, vining supports...cattle panels, cut to
> whatever size you need. Ideas and photos...
>
> http://davesgarden.com/tools/tags/tag.php?tag=cattle+panel
>
> 7. Watering cans. The big containers of cat litter. Drill holes in
> lid.
>
> 8. Pepper supports...use cheap conical tomato supports that won't
> support tomatoes.
>
> 9. Paper shredder...reduces newspapers for composting, mulch, and worm
> food.
>
> 10. Five Galen buckets for container gardening. One bucket easily
> supports a pepper plant, eggplant, tomato, etc. Drill drain holes.
> White ones reflect sun and keep roots cooler.
>
> 11. I use a two gallon sprayer for watering seedlings that I start.
> Low pressure. Easy to water all without moving the flats.
>
> 12. Alfalfa meal. Cheap soil and compost amendment. Alfalfa chops
> with molasses...also cheap, not as fine as meal.
>
> 13. Rolls of jute twine are a necessity. Don't use twisty-ties or
> the stretchie-plastic stuff. You'll find it in your garden forever.
>
> 14. Cut pieces of mini-blinds, written on with *pencil*, for plant
> markers
>
> There are more, but these come quickly to mind.
>
> Charlie
Wow! Great tips. Have been waffling over $15 for a compost sifter. Not
only is #3 cheaper it's a better solution (for me).
Thanks!
--
Sharon F
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> lid.