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Tools
Now you don't need lots of expensive tools to propagate and grow gardening plants successfully, but as with any job, having the right ones makes the job a lot easier, and more enjoyable. Most that you will require can be found in most garden centers, DIY stores and hardware shops at very reasonable prices. A good source for cheap, but good quality, tools are boot sales and yard sales where they can be found for pennies. Another good source is online, there are losts of online suppliers that cater for gardeners. So, which ones do you need, then? Besides general gardening tools, spades and forks for general digging, lifting and dividing plants, rakes for levelling off and preparing seedbeds and hoes for making seed drills you will need others to propagate your plants:
Hand Trowel and Hand Fork are ideal for lifting and thinning out young plants. Hand forks are also ideal for dividing small clumps of perennials. Hand trowels are just the job for making planting holes for small plants or bulbs in pots, containers or in the garden. Secateurs are one of your must have tools for taking cuttings of semi-ripe and ripe plants. They will make a perfect cut in hardwood, which is ideal for taking cuttings. They are also pretty good for general pruning. Use the scissor action, or bypass type secateurs as they make a cleaner cut than the anvil type. Avoid cheap versions as they will not stay sharp for long. You need secateurs with sharp cutting blades for taking cuttings! Tampers are used for *firming (but not compacting) compost in pots and trays. This tamping (but not compacting) is essential for the sowing of fine seeds. Yes, you can make your own! Made from a block of wood sized to fit the inside of your pots and trays. Fit a smaller piece of wood in the center of one side to be used as a handle. Make a set of different sizes to suit your pots and trays if you are doing a lot of propagating. They really do make it easier. (*Using these tampers correctly will increase your chances of propagating success). It was mentioned above about "not compacting". This is very important, as all you want to do is gently firm the surface of the compost in pots or trays. You don't want to squash the compost. This will compact it and can cause all sorts of problems not least, poor drainage, which is disastrous for seeds and cuttings. Whatever type of blade you use for cuttings, *keep it clean. (*Keeping your knife clean will increase your chances of propagating success). *Turn the rose upside down for use as this will prevent the surface of the compost being disturbed too much and washing small and fine seeds to one side, or 'washing out' small cuttings. (*This method will increase your chances of success). Fill the watering can, with tap-water, (never use water from a water butt or similar as it can harbour disease), *twenty-four hours before you intend using it and keep it, together with the compost, in the same place where you will sow your seeds or plant your cuttings. By doing this you will allow chemicals to disperse out of the tap water, also it will be at the same temperature as the compost. (*By doing this you will increase your chances of success, especially when propagating cuttings). Mist Sprayer can be used for young seedlings or newly rooted cuttings that need a humid environment. A mist sprayer can also be used, with care, for moistening compost after sowing fine seeds. Don't forget to fill your mist sprayer with tap water, never use water from water butts as it can harbour diseases, twenty-four hours before you want to use it. Leaving it to stand for twenty-four hours allows any harmful chemicals in the water to disperse befor you use it. And keep it in a warm place so the temperature of the water is tepid. You do not want cold water on seeds or seedlings. Mist sparayers are inexpensive so you can afford to keep a couple handy at all times. They are ideal for sparying indoor, greenhouse and conservatory plants in hot dry weather. This cools the plants down and increases the humidity around your plants. Sieve, a must for covering small seeds with a fine thin layer of compost. *Use a sieve for all composts when sowing seeds, planting cuttings or at transplanting times. You will be surprised how much 'bulky' material there is in a bag of compost. This 'bulky' material is no good for sowing seeds or planting cuttings as the new roots will struggle trying to penetrate their way through. However, don't throw this 'bulky' material away it is ideal for using in large pots or containers with bigger plants, just mix it with ordinary compost. Or use it as a soil conditioner in your garden, it's good stuff for that. (*This will increase your chances of success). Scissors are essential when taking and preparing cuttings. *Small stainless steel nail scissors are ideal. But *keep them clean at all times to prevent the spread of diseases. You can use methylated spirits to clean the blades of scissors. (*This will increase your chances of success). These tools made from stainless steel are one hundred times better than those made from mild steel. Soil will not stick to them as you use them, which makes their use so much easier, especially in heavy or clay soils. They are also much easier to clean. Stainless steel tools are now not much more expensive than ordinary mild steel tools. So, give yourself a treat, go and get some stainless steel tools! Well, that's the basics of tools for the job. But you will find that as you progress and become more successful at propagating your plants, you will collect more tools for the job along the way. These will be your own tools for the job that you have found makes propagating your plants more easier and more enjoyable for you. |
