Farmers Weekly Review

With the holidays just around the corner, this is a great time to think spring! Not because the weather is cold and the days are dark, but now is the time to think about garden-related items you could use next spring that you can put on your holiday wish list.
These are the real treasures for our toil in the soil. Not some decorative garden/nature-themed trinket that isn’t useful and just ends up as a dust magnet.
First and foremost are tools. As the old saying goes, “the most expensive tool is a cheap tool, because you will have to buy it over and over and over again.” I am sure you have been there; someone gets you some hand garden tools in a decorative tote, but the metal in them is only slightly stronger than tin foil, and they are two-piece, not solid forged. It doesn’t take long before you dig, weed, or cultivate, and you come away with just the handle, the working part of the tool is still stuck in the ground.
Solid forged hand tools where the entire length of the tool, handle, and implement, are one piece are a good buy. I personally like the Fiskars products – oh, let me remind you that this column isn’t University property, I do this on my own, and these are my opinions (for better or worse). The University never promotes one brand over another.
So, back to the Fiskars. These tools are a great buy, and they have expanded their line. They have great hand rakes and trowels, and also a fine line of hand pruners, loppers, and digging tools at very reasonable prices. If you want high-end pruners, many gardeners prefer the Felco brand. They are a higher price point, but the blades are replaceable.
My very favorite hand tool is the garden knife. For years, this was only found in specialty magazines, but today can be found in big box stores. It looks like a wicked trowel. About that same size but more slender, and it has a serrated edge along one side that can slice through the toughest root systems.
After tools, there are some other sensible and useful items you may wish to add to your holiday list. Floating row cover (with or without hoops) is a great season extender at both ends. Floating row cover shields your early crops from late frost. Row cover also performs duties as a completely chemical-free insect control, especially when plants are young.
Just remember, if you are covering plants in the cucurbit family (squash, melons, gourds), you will need to remove row cover to allow pollination.
You can get row cover in a roll; you will need garden staples or stakes to keep it from floating away like Casper the ghost; or you can buy the pre-wired version that creates a hoop house over your crops. Floating row cover is surprisingly durable, considering its incredibly lightweight makeup and can be reused for years.
You can also use it to extend the fall harvest, too, particularly if you do a second cropping of vegetables in late summer. Row cover can keep you going, especially in mild winters, often into February.
If you have never tried composting or want to add to your collection of already existing bins, the Earth Machine is a great composter. First and foremost, it looks just like a medium-sized black plastic garbage can. That can be half the battle with composting when it comes to family members or, even more importantly, that “special” neighbor’s opinions. Composting gets a bad rap that it will be a smelly, rodent-attracting eye sore, all of which are untrue if you do it correctly. But the Earth machine composter has a clean, simple design for those prying-eyed, judging neighbors and also has great features that makes composting a breeze.
The 100% recycled unit has adequate ventilation, a nice secure locking lid to keep the trash pandas (aka raccoons) at bay, and a little trap door at the bottom where you can scoop out the finished “gardener’s gold” compost. I have several of these and some over 20 years, and they are still performing and looking great.
Using gloves in the garden is almost as controversial a topic. There is the “it’s not gardening unless you have dirt under your nails” camp, and then those who won’t garden without gloves. I have found those thin, lightweight, stretchy, nitrile-covered gloves to be a great choice for fine work. If your garden gloves are too bulky, it is too hard to plant fine seed, or pinch out seedlings. These are great and come in multipacks, and are a great garden gift.
Even if you are a non-glove wearer for most garden tasks, for the thistles, burs, roses, and raspberries and other prickly plants, I think everyone agrees they could use some armor when working among the thorns.
They may not be pretty, but a heavy pair of leather gloves are a great asset to keep you from looking like you let your cat use your arms like a scratching post.