Cheap and Alternative Garden Gizmos ( And Off Label Stuff?)

[Charlie]

1. A food processor was mentioned....should work well. I use a blender for reducing kitchen waste to liquid form. Also use the blender to chop charcoal to tiny pieces and powder.

1. A "remote" thermometer, the kind with the probe and wire, makes a great soil and compost pile temperature taker. Straighten the probe, split a piece of bamboo on the small end and lay the probe in the slit and duck tape it in place well, wrap the lead up the length of the bamboo and tape or whatever the readout on the "handle" end.

2. Compost sifter. Thirty gallon or larger plastic trash can with lid. Invert the lid and cut out a large (most of the lid)circular hole, cut a piece of wire mesh (I used 1/2 x 1 inch) to fit the lid. After shaking and sifting, the trash can is easy to drag about the garden.

1. Leaf/straw/whatever chopper. Same trash can and use a weed whacker to pulverize leaves in the can. Believe it or not, most stays in the can...again, easy to haul about.

2. Dibble. Plain...stick. Fancy...handle end of broken shovel handle.

1. Tomato cages, arbors, vining supports...cattle panels, cut to whatever size you need. Ideas and photos...

Watering cans. The big containers of cat litter. Drill holes in lid.

1. Pepper supports...use cheap conical tomato supports that won't support tomatoes.

1. Paper shredder...reduces newspapers for composting, mulch, and worm food.

2. Five Galen buckets for container gardening. One bucket easily supports a pepper plant, eggplant, tomato, etc. Drill drain holes. White ones reflect sun and keep roots cooler.

1. I use a two gallon sprayer for watering seedlings that I start. Low pressure. Easy to water all without moving the flats.

2. Alfalfa meal. Cheap soil and compost amendment. Alfalfa chops with molasses...also cheap, not as fine as meal.

1. Rolls of jute twine are a necessity. Don't use twisty-ties or the stretchie-plastic stuff. You'll find it in your garden forever.

2. Cut pieces of mini-blinds, written on with *pencil*, for plant markers

There are more, but these come quickly to mind.

Charlie

[Suzanne D.]

Large plastic containers like this also make good drip watering systems. Just poke holes around the perimeter about an inch off the bottom (the extra inch of water left in the bottom anchors the container so it won't blow away). Easy to refill with a hose.

--S.

[Sharon F]

Wow! Great tips. Have been waffling over $15 for a compost sifter. Not only is #3 cheaper it's a better solution (for me).

Thanks!