Out Of The Soil
All things gardening
TOOLS
When you're first starting a garden you really need very few tools. As you gain in experience and expand the size of your garden you might want to get a few of the more "fancy" or time saving tools - but for those just starting out a hand trowel a hand claw, a pair of pruning shears, a watering can, a pair of gardening gloves and a spade will be about all that you really need. All the weed buckets, rakes, mats and others can wait until you decide to expand your garden or know for sure that you want to continue with this hobby.
With that said, as you progress you will want a few of the "extras" and one item that I have and just love is a Mantis Tiller. I'm no spring chicken anymore and at only 20 pounds this tiller is great! It saves my back, my knees and LOTS of time! Hopefully you've seen them on TV, but eiither way, be sure to Check It Out and I think you'll love it as well!
A Mantis tiller can save you hours of back-breaking work. Turning the soil in the Spring is my least favorite gardening shore. I'll take pulling weeds any day over that! However, with the Mantis tiller, I don't have to work all that hard at either chore! These extremely light-weight tillers (20 lbs for the 2-cycle and 24 lbs for the 4-cycle) tiller, are easy on the back and save me tons of time. Check them out for yourself at Mantis tillers and see everything you get (including FREE SHIPPING)!
SUPPLIES
The supplies you'll need will depend greatly on the type of gardening that you plan on doing and the types of pest and animals you might have to deal with.
If you have lots of rabbits in your area, you are going to have to invest in some chicken wire and build a fence to keep them out of your garden. The same is true if you plan on starting a compost pile.
Tomato plant supports, some type of mesh if you have a severe pest problem.
A lot of these items, like the tools, will be things that you will acquire as time goes on. They are nice, and can save time, but other than the essentials, not necessary for the beginner.
- Mulch
- Starter Plants
- Seed
- Fertilizer/Compost
- Water
- Soil Tester
The list above compiles the essentials - and you should already have the water!
A quick word about soil testors. You CAN and probably should take a soil sample in to be tested when you first start out. It can tell you so much about your soil and what you will need to do with it in order to grow healthy plants. You can also purchase a do it yourself kit. You can either get a simple pH tester or the complete NPK Test kit.
An NPK test kit will test your soil for Nitrogen, Phosporus and Potash.
What does each nutrient do? In addition to other properties, Nitrogen helps plant foliage to grow strong. Phosphorous helps roots and flowers grow and develop. Potassium (Potash) is important for overall plant health. However, that's not all your plants need so be sure to read the section on soil to determine all your plants requirements.
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