If you’ve come to this gardening resources and tools section, it’s because you want to get solutions, ideas, inspiration, resources, and information to succeed in your gardening endeavor.
That’s why I thought it would be helpful to recommend all the resources and tools you require in your garden.
I’ve had a personal experience with some of the tools I’m about to recommend or have been highly recommended by the people I trust.
I’ll keep on updating this Page as I learn more.
Weed Control
The clement weather and plenty of sun rays that spring has brought are a true boost for every garden. Yet, people’s favorite vegetables and flowers are not the only plants to take advantage of good conditions.
Weeds like crabgrass and sorrel are growing stronger as well. You can, of course, easily get rid of them with the help of expert gardening care services, but there are some measures you can take on your own too.
Below you will find a few safe non-glyphosate herbicides that can help you exterminate such garden invaders without treating your garden with harsh chemicals. Learn how to kill the obnoxious weeds and preserve your soil’s quality and the already planted greenery at the same time.
Up until now, most of the safe roundup alternatives have not been systemic. Meaning taproots remain untouched in some incidences.
However, this organic weed slayer works a little different. It is a unique two-part broad spectrum organic herbicide with one part being made from Eugenol, a plant-based essential oil of clove and the second part a unique proprietary bio surfactant that helps translocate the herbicide material through the plant. Finally, gardeners have got a safe and effective organic alternative to Roundup.
Vinegar is a versatile substance and can be used to replace many commercial home and garden chemicals - glyphosate being one of them. Vinegar is a safer and cheaper alternative to these harmful chemicals, not to mention better for the environment. However, you should dilute it to about 15% before using a pump sprayer to target the unwanted weeds.
Spray some vinegar on the affected areas of your garden and you will be happy to see the weeds dead just a couple of days later.
Doctor Kirchner's natural weed killer provides a safer alternative to harmful herbicides - for those that want to kill the weeds and still care for the environment and the health of those around them. The formulation works fast and requires no mixing or safety gear – so anyone can spray weeds without the health concerns of harmful chemicals. Natural Weed Killer is a people & pet friendly, ready to spray, non-selective vinegar and ocean water solution. This stuff kills weeds down to the roots and is completely pesticide free!
Smart Watering
Choosing the best frugal automatic plant watering system is, probably, one of the most daunting tasks for homeowners today.
Here’s why.
There’s a vortex of information and products on the web promising this and that, and without the necessary commitment and the time to sift through all that content, it’s hard to know who’s telling the truth.
Well, I understand all your concerns, and that’s why I thought it would be helpful to come up with the best options for the automatic plant watering system that you can easily choose all in one place.
With these options, you can take your three weeks’ vacation and never have to worry about whether you’ll get your plants alive or otherwise.
Set the Watering and Interval time to your plants need. The system will automatically water to your set schedule. Automatic Drip kit use 70% less water than traditional spray & drip heads, by spot watering only exactly where needed.
Powered with 4 AA batteries or Micro-USB cable. Enjoying peace of mind knowing the AA batteries will act as a backup during power outages. With three programming buttons and an easy-to-read LCD display, it takes minutes to set your customized watering cycle.
As the name suggest, this device is a watering genius. The system is capable of making weather forecasts by comparing the past, present, and future weather patterns and watering only when necessary to save up to 50% water.
All you need to do is download the App that runs the system, make necessary settings including setup of zones (8 to 16 zones) and Rachio device does the rest.
The system integrates well with other top tier home automation systems such as Xfinity, IFTTT, Nexia, Control4, iControl, and Amazon Echo.
Gardening Books
If there’s anything I got from Stephen Covey’s book – The 7 habits of Highly Effective People, was the fact that he puts a lot of emphasis on continuous improvement through learning - what he calls sharpening the saw.
If you want to take your gardening skill to the next level, reading a lot of great gardening books is a must.
I’ve recommended some that I’ve found useful below. All you have to do is choose one or two (if not all) that will best address your current needs.
Do you wish there was a way to save your African violet from inevitable death? Or wonder if there are any tips to encourage them into flowering? Do you know for sure what is happening to them?
I know the feeling when you’ve just acquired your first African violet plant from a well-known garden center with a lovely purple bloom. Or maybe they were sent to you as gifts or you inherited them from a loved one.
You really enjoy watching them grow and flower. It’s a great sentimental feeling.
Until one day, you notice that your African violet looks miserable!
The Urban Farmer is a comprehensive, hands-on, practical manual to help you learn the techniques and business strategies you need to make a good living growing high-yield, high-value crops right in your own backyard (or someone else's). Major benefits include:
- Low capital investment and overhead costs
- Reduced need for expensive infrastructure
- Easy access to markets.
Do you wish there was a way you could use your limited allotment to grow your own fresh fruits? Or better still, make some good money doing it? Afraid to take that first leap because you’re afraid of a negative outcome? Or you’re already into fruit gardening and want to take your skills to the next level? Here’s a brief overview of what’s covered:
- How to plan and establish a beautiful fruit orchard
- How to easily manage all the operations
- How to market & sell your surplus fruits like a pro
- How to manage the risks & keep everything for yourself and family
Other interesting gardening books
All New Square Foot Gardening II: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More in Less Space
The Vegetable Gardener's Bible, 2nd Edition:
The Well-Tended Perennial Garden
The Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardener's Handbook
Floret Farm's Cut Flower Garden: Grow, Harvest, and Arrange Stunning Seasonal Blooms
Greenhouse Gardening
Winter gardening is an uphill task that most gardeners dread.
However, wouldn’t it be a good idea if you could have a garden that grows all year round?
We all know that when winter bites, most crops are damaged extensively. Even those plants in their correct growing zone are not spared. Such harsh element reduces most crops hardiness exposing them to damage.
Good news, though:
It’s possible to have bountiful winter harvest nearly everywhere from zones 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.
If you come to think of it, it’s even better to plant fresh fruits and vegetables at this time of the year since most pests normally hibernate or migrate, weeds grow slower, and less water is lost through evaporation.
Think of it as a blessing in disguise.
So, with the right guidelines and a proper shelter equipment (greenhouse), your winter gardening experience will be so much fun and rewarding.
This greenhouse features two kinds of virtually unbreakable polycarbonate coverings to give you the best of both worlds. Crystal clear polycarbonate side walls allow clear views while being ultra-safe. Meanwhile, the twin-wall roof panels diffuse over 90% of sunlight for a soft, even light.
The weatherproof frame on the Grand Gardener 2 also features simplified assembly with the pin and lock system, while the roof panels simply slide into place. This heavy-duty extruded resin frame improves both insulation and durability.
Palram offers several greenhouse options based on your personal gardening preferences.
Choices include clear single wall or opaque double wall polycarbonate panels, 6' or 8' widths, and lengths ranging from 4' to 20'.
Single wall greenhouses like the popular Snap and Grow series have crystal clear roof and side panels that allow up to 90% light transmission and are ideal for those who want to showcase their plants. The main advantage of this greenhouse kit is that it’s relatively cheaper and best value for money.
The Ohuhu Greenhouse is designed to create the best environment for your plants to grow healthily, provide protection against rough weather conditions like rain, wind, and snow, and lets you exercise your green fingers in any place and any season. It is structured with durable rust-resistant tubes that will make this portable greenhouse last through the seasons. Measuring 55.5” (L) x 56.3”(W) x 76.8” (H), the large greenhouse with 12 wired shelves allows for you to place small plants, gardening tools and pots, and has ample room for all your gardening supplies or plants.
Recommended greenhouse gardening reads
3 Quick Winter Gardening Tips for Zones 4 to 9
Container Gardening
For most gardeners, growing vegetables in containers is a necessity.
Urban gardening often means growing on rooftops, balconies, alleyways, sidewalks or whatever little space the gardener has available.
Gardeners with physical disabilities find that growing vegetables in containers makes them far easier to reach and tend.
Unsuitable soil conditions such as sand, stone, and clay makes growing vegetables especially challenging.
And even in urban areas, gardeners often find container gardening as a way to avoid sharing their harvest with deer, rabbits and woodchucks.
If you are new to growing vegetables in containers, or have had limited success, here are some container gardening resources to improving your chances of success.
You can save yourself the trouble associated with soil-based media by using recommended potting mix. Most mixes have good porosity.
And as you know, porosity is one of the most important properties of a potting mix.
Black Gold organic is ideal for all container-grown flowers, herbs and vegetables. It's enriched with earthworm castings, perlite, pumice and organic fertilizer.
Use in hanging baskets, patio containers, herb gardens, vegetable plantings, and anywhere you would like to use an organic soil.
When selecting a pot, it’s important to consider the size of the plant — or plants — you will be growing. If the pot is too small, plants will quickly become rootbound and the soil will not be able to hold enough moisture between waterings.
Tusco Rolled Rim Terra Cotta Pot comes in handy.
This rolled rim planter is made of lightweight, rotation molded plastic. The durable pot is weatherproof so you can use it indoors or outdoors all summer and winter without worrying about fading or cracking.
I understand your frustration. You love the tasty fresh vegetables but you just don’t have enough space to grow your own. Why not consider indoor gardening instead? Indoor gardening is the most space-efficient way of growing those valuable fresh vegetables all year round. Besides, growing vegetables indoors have proved to play a role in phytoremediation and you get a chance to integrate nature with your house!
It takes effort, time, and the right tool to keep your yard in shape. Think of tilling your garden in preparation for growing your plants, pruning your tomatoes or roses, testing your soil for nutrients or even maintaining your lawn. Is it possible to achieve all the above-mentioned chores without the help of an appropriate tool? Of course not. That’s why the following are the gardening tools to make your work easier.
Your kitchen generates tonnes and tonnes of trash every year. That’s not all, the trees are always shedding their leaves littering your yard. Wouldn’t it be a good idea if you could turn that trash into something more valuable? Check out these recommended gardening resource in regards to composting.
Hate sharing your fresh fruits and vegetables with bugs? Do you hate the ugly marks left behind by chewing mouthparts of insects? Of course, that’s the greatest nightmare for every green thumb. It doesn’t have to be that way. Protecting your garden from damaging pests should always be a priority. And the best way to do this is to let nature take care of that problem for you. How about introducing good bugs that prey on those damaging pests?
For homeowners, moving materials from one location in the yard to the other is something that happens almost every day. Be it carrying construction materials, waste disposal or even fresh produce. Carts always come in handy. That means outdoor carts are a must have equipment in your garden. But not just any cart can do the job. Whichever outdoor cart you choose, put its durability, versatility and the ease of mobility into consideration.
Organic gardening is becoming more popular with each passing year, as home gardeners strive to grow gardens that are bountiful, healthy, and ecologically friendly. Most gardeners do not understand what organic gardening is all about. Well, organic gardening is essentially gardening without using synthetic products like fertilizers and pesticides. It involves the use of only natural products to grow plants in your garden.
Disclosure:
I will get a small commission at no extra cost on your part if you buy any product using some of the link(s) in this post. Please don't buy anything unless you're sure it will help you achieve your gardening objectives. If in doubt, don't hesitate to get in touch with me.
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