A Fix for Hoses

My hoses seem to get shorter every year. That's because rather than throw them away after accidentally smashing the couplings or cutting them in half, I repair them.

There are two types of repair kits available at garden centers. They differ in how to secure the coupling. One type uses prongs that clamp down around the end of the hose, and the other applies a band at the hose end.

First cut away the damaged coupling or shredded section of hose. Soak the hose end in hot water for a few minutes to soften. If using a band repair kit, slide the band over the hose, and insert the fitting. Tighten the band as close to the coupling as possible. To repair with a prong-type kit, insert the fitting, and clamp the prongs down as tightly as possible with a pair of pliers.

Extend the Life of Wooden Tools

You can extend the life of any wooden handle the day you buy it. Use fine sandpaper to remove the finish. With your bare hands or a soft rag, generously rub the handle with boiled linseed oil. The warmth from your hands will help work in the oil, or leave a rag-oiled handle in the sun to warm the oil into the wood. Tung oil or vegetable oils such as olive or safflower oils also make good preservatives. The result is a smooth, water-resistant finish. Replenish with another rub whenever the wood begins to lose its satin feel.
Replace cracked shovel or fork handles. Digging puts a lot of stress on these tools, and having one give out at the wrong moment can be dangerous. Repair splits in hoe or rake handles by prying them open, filling with wood glue or epoxy, clamping till dry, and sanding smooth. It's usually quicker just to replace the handle. Don't ever try to get by with wrapping tape around a cracked handle. It is cheap, but it only hides a potentially worsening problem.

Handles come in different styles, but the method of replacement is about the same. Begin by removing the old handle. There is usually a screw or rivet holding the handle in place. Take the screw or rivet out of the tool socket carefully, without altering the socket shape. You may have to bang the old handle out with a chunk of pipe.

Install the new handle by securing the tool head, spade or fork, in a vise and pushing the handle into the socket. Soak the handle in hot water or coat the socket with a little oil or soap to help the handle slide in easily, especially with curved sockets. Tap the handle as far as it will go. Prevent the new handle from ever flying free by drilling a hole and inserting a nut and bolt through the metal socket into the handle.

Hoes, Spades, Shovels, Forks, Rakes, and Edgers

Keep a bucket of oily sand nearby for keeping tools clean and rust-free. Two things this type of tool deserves are a place to call home and a bucket of oily sand. Mix a bottle of vegetable oil in with clean construetion sand. After each use, hose off dirt and plunge the tool into the bucket with the sand and oil. The sand scours the metal, and the oil coats it preventing rust. Then hang up the tool in its proper spot. If the handles are wood, coat them with varnish, or rub with linseed or tung oil to preserve.

Hoes, spades, shovels, and edgers perform better if the edge is sharp. File tools to a sharp edge at least once a year.

The first rule is never misuse these cutting tools. They are meant to cut stems not wire. One wrong cut can ruin a good blade. Use soap and water to wash away sap or pitch; you may need a bit of turpentine or hand-cleaner for spots that are hard to remove. Scrub tool with steel wool to remove rust. Keep the moving parts lubricated with WD-40 or sewing machine oil. Check nuts and bolts periodically to make sure they are tight. Sharpen if cutting becomes difficult.

Understanding Planting Aids

From starting seeds to maintaining full-grown plants, there is equipment for every step of the way. Almost anything you can buy for those jobs has a free or cheap substitute.

Seed-starting pots are available in plastic or peat. There is no reason to pay for either. Save pots and flats whenever you purchase plants and reuse them. If you purchase less plastic, then you will not have to pay to throw it away.

Soil thermometers can help you decide when to seed temperature-sensitive plants. However, with practice, and perhaps a little trial and error, you'll soon develop a ''feel" for soil temperature that's just as dependable. Just touching the soil will tell you if it's warm enough to plant.

Dibbles make holes in soil for placing seeds. A stick, pencil, or finger performs the same.

Labels are useful for remembering what you planted. Make your own by cutting waxed milk cartons into strips and writing on the plain side with a permanent market. Or push a stick through the seed packet and into the soil.

Plant ties and supports hold plants in place as they grow. Instead of using ties from the garden center, substitute cloth strips, plastic garbage bag ties, twine, or twist-ties, and your plants will never know the difference. Wire tomato cages are too small to support most mature tomato plants. They are great, though, as supports for many types of flowering plants. Use a pair of wire cutters to snip the cage just above the first horizontal wire for two small flower supports. For tomatoes and other vining crops, welded wire fencing, hopefully salvaged, makes a good support. Twine is great for many garden jobs, and it is often free from anyone who feeds baled hay to livestock. Metal fence posts are available in various lengths, are reasonably priced, will last forever, and will support the weight of any crop.

Plant protectors from waxed paper hot caps to entire greenhouses, can really extend the life of plants.

Comforts and Conveniences in gardening

Some items just make gardening easier, and for that reason they may be worth the cost, but there are cheap substitutes you can use for quite a few of them.

Garden gloves protect your hands. Heavier material provides more protection. Cheap cloth gloves keep your hands clean. Heavy-duty leather gloves protect against thorns during pruning or brush-cutting, and guard against blisters after hours of hoeing or spading.

Knee pads or kneelers are valuable for anyone whose knees or back aches after weeding or performing other ground-work. Knee pads allow more free movement than a kneeler that must be picked up and moved every few minutes as you move.

Handle grips are rubber tubes that fit over tool handles, such as hoes, rakes, and spades. They reduce wear on both handles and hands. For a cheap substitute wrap handles with foam pipe insulation, and attach the foam neatly with electrical tape.

Wheelbarrows haul soil, garden waste, and other loads from one place to another. The bed, constructed of metal, plastic, or wood, attaches to one or two wheels, depending on the design. For large or heavy loads, the two-wheeled version is the easiest to use. Metal won't crack like plastic, but it will rust.

Understanding Watering equipment

Watering equipment can be costly, but it may save you in the long run by lowering your water bills or pumping costs. Water containers are for carrying and dispensing water. Stores sell all kinds of expensive watering cans, but you can make cheap imitations. Plastic milk or water jugs are ideal. Punch holes in the bottom, put on the cap, and carry upside-down. Turn them over, and remove the cap to sprinkle water.

Garden hoses carry water from a faucet to its final destination. They vary in length and can be screwed together to cover long distances. Water pressure from the source forces water through the hose to the end. Rubber and vinyl hoses are the most common, and are available in 1/2-inch, 5/8-inch, 3/4-inch, and 1-inch diameters. Rubber lasts the longest and is least prone to kinking and splitting. For most uses a 5/8-inch size is the best buy. Look for hoses with a lifetime guarantee. Hoses go on sale in spring and fall.

Lawn sprinklers attach to a hose and spray water up and out. They are a tremendous improvement over hand watering for the time they save. Water pressure propels the spray in one of several patterns, with some types covering a larger area than others. The cheapest sprinklers cost between $5 and $8 and are small heads with holes punched in them. They rest on the ground and shoot water up over a limited area. These work all right for lawns, but in a border or vegetable garden the spray may be blocked by foliage. Rotating and pulse-jet sprinklers have moving parts that deliver an even spray. Impulse-jet types are the most versatile, because you can adjust them to water a range of patterns, including a full circle. Oscillating sprinklers have a rocking bar that sprays water. They are not the best for vegetable plots, flower borders, or landscaping plants, because so much water lands on foliage instead of near the roots. If you must use a sprinkler in these spots, elevate it with a step-ladder or other substitute so the spray lands unobstructed. Look for sales in spring and fall.
Drip irrigation systems deliver water through emitters to individual plants. They are great for putting just the right amount of water where needed, but can be costly to install.

Soaker hoses and porous hoses deliver water along their length either through a series of holes, the soaker hose, or through the porous skin. Use some soaker hoses to water lawns as the holes are large enough to send water spraying upward. Turn them over so the water sprays downward to water vegetables or flowers. These hoses conserve water by putting it only where desired by the gardener. Place one along each garden row, or wind through flower beds and landscaping, to save time moving them around. Attach a garden hose when ready to water. Though a soaker hose is a bigger initial expense than a garden hose or cheap sprinkler, the savings on water can pay for the hoses in a couple of seasons. They also will last indefinitely.

Timers shut the water off at a pre-determined time. Cheap ones simply turn it off after a preset time period, while you can program expensive computer models with a complete watering regime. Both models prevent waste from overwatering, but the less expensive mechanical type is simpler to use and should be sufficient for almost anyone.

Water gauges measure how much water lands at a given spot. Save money by placing an empty jar or can in areas you want to measure.

Gas- and Electric-Powered Tools for Your Garden

Most power tools constitute a hefty initial investment, which must be worked off over a period of time. They also represent a monetary commitment to run; they require fuel or electricity, maintenance, and, occasionally, repairs. The trade-off is they save time and effort.

Chipper/shredders reduce garden waste by three-quarters or more. They can be a real boon if you are clearing brush, especially if you cannot burn. Chippers and shredders chop branches, twigs, and leaves into a homogenous mix which can be used as mulch. Shredders also can speed up the process of composting. Since the heavy-duty branch-eaters also make short work of leaves, they are the most versatile. Gas-powered models are the fastest and noisiest. Both types can be dangerous. Rototillers cultivate soil. Models range from 1 horsepower, lightweight tiller / cultivators, designed mainly for mechanized weeding, to 14 horsepower tillers, made for breaking new ground. Sharp digging tines rotate and cultivate the soil to depths varying from 4 to 8 inches. Considering that most plant roots penetrate at least 1 foot deep, a rototiller alone cannot prepare the soil deeply enough to accommodate them. The digging tines may be mounted in the front or rear of the machine. Except for the most powerful models, those designed with rear-mounted tines can be difficult to control at tilling depths greater than 3 inches. Rototillers can be dangerous; never buy one without a deadman control. This safety feature stops the machine and the turning tines when engaged. Lawn mowers cut grass. It's that simple. You may push, follow a self-propelled mower, or ride in style, but you are still simply cutting grass. The only real difference in cutting grass is how much you sweat, and whether the clippings are dropped, bagged, or mulched. Mulching mowers grind the clippings into tiny pieces that work their way back to the soil level. The tiny clippings provide beneficial mulch and eliminate waste. Self-propelled mowers generally cost at least $100 more than similar push-powered models, and the self-propelled models are twice as likely to need repairs. If your yard is small and level, you can get by with the less expensive push mower. If you have hills or a lot of ground to cover the self-propelled model may be better for you.

Some lawn-mower models have a blade-brake-clutch safety system which allows you to disengage the blade action without shutting down the engine. This is a real plus for moving the machine around when it's not actually cutting, say from the garage to the yard. Another helpful feature is a rear-bagging model, as opposed to a side-bagging one; they tend to be more maneuverable. Rear-wheel-drive machines, not front-wheel-drive models, have better traction. If you have physical limitations or a huge lot, a riding mower or lawn tractor may be necessary. Lawn tractors cost more but have the advantage of various accessories from garden carts to snow blades. They are also slightly less prone to repair jobs than riding mowers. Most lawn tractors can't rival the carpetlike evenness walk-behind mowers leave, and expect to spend more money. Don't even consider a lawn tractor without a deadman control in the seat. With the control, as soon as the driver leaves the seat, the engine stops. Tip: Lawn mowers go on sale after the Fourth of July.

String trimmers cut unruly herbaceous growth from weeds to overgrown grass. There are gas- and electric-powered models, but unless you have enough weeds to warrant the gas type, a good pair of garden shears will work instead. Some trimmers can also edge lawns; turn them so the string spins vertically.

Hedge trimmers are for yards with lots of big hedges. Gas-powered models are easy to use, cordless, and have little vibration. But they are loud and expensive. Electric trimmers are cheaper and more lightweight. Those with reciprocating blades, two blades cutting against each other are the most efficient. For most uses, a 16-inch blade is sufficient.

Leaf blowers move leaves. In a large area, a blower will save effort and time over a rake. There are hand-carried, back-pack, and push types, some with attachments. They are loud and expensive, and they take all the fun out of raking leaves.