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What tools will I need?

Rake and hoe

You will need the following tools for your soil-bed garden:

  • A round-headed shovel with a long handle. The shovel is used to turn the soil over. It is also excellent for removing perennial weeds and rhizomes.
  • A garden rake (a 12" rake is easier to use than a 14" or 16" rake). A rake is used to level the soil and to shape the soil-beds. Use the back of the rake to break up clods.
  • A straight-blade hoe (sometimes called a scuffle-hoe) not a curved chopping hoe. Use the straight-blade hoe just under the soil surface to eliminate annual weeds by cutting off their crowns.

Tips

Never use a dull tool. Use a file to sharpen your tools. Keep your tools in good condition.

  • Two 2-gallon buckets for fertilizer compounds.
  • Hose with ragA garden hose with the end securely wrapped several times with an 18-inch cloth extended past the end of the hose. Do not tie the end of the extended cloth. Leave it open. The rag around the hose will prevent the water from digging a hole in the soil, and it allows you to turn the water on full volume to water your garden rapidly.
  • Home-made fertilizing tool for distributing fertilizer to plants growing in the soil-beds. With this tool, you won't have to bend down or strain your back, and you can quickly fertilize as you walk along the soil-beds.
    Fertilizing Tool

To make this tool, nail an empty 16-ounce can (open at one end) to the top end of a 1" x 2" x 6' (or longer) strip of wood.

The wood handle will be horizontal to the ground. The can will be perpendicular to the handle with the open end facing the sky.

Planting Markers

You should also use markers to provide proper spacing for plants. Different markers are used for different purposes:

  • To mark seed flats
  • To press holes uniformly deep
  • To space plants in soil-beds or grow-boxes

You will learn about making markers in a future section.

Garden Genius

Complete the following checklist for your garden plan. Which tools do you need to get?

  • Round-headed shovel
  • 12" garden rake
  • Straight-edge hoe (push-hoe)
  • Two two-gallon buckets
  • Garden Hose
  • 18" cloth for end of hose
  • Home-made fertilizing tool

Use the list in the Tools and Materials List in the Garden Genius. Make sure you print it out before exiting this site.

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Tip of the Day

It's Spring Planting Time! For those of you in the Northern hemisphere who have winters, March and early April are the time you need to be preparing your soil and planting the hardy vegetable crops such as radishes, peas, cabbage and broccoli.

The freeze/thaw cycles of winter have broken up and loosened most soils, so as soon as it's not muddy, go in and give everything a good weeding with the 2-way hoe (see Tools). Weeding thoroughly this early gives you the upper hand, and is very important.

If you grew a Mittleider garden last year, your beds will be easy to re-make. Just apply Pre-Plant and Weekly Feed to the bed area, then till them in, place strings on your stakes, and re-make the beds.

Be sure to re-check the level of each bed accurately, since they may have changed a little. Do not be satisfied with anything more than 1" fall in a 30'-long soil-bed. Good Gardening!

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