Best Tool Box

Spade/Shovel If there's one tool that you need for transplanting trees, it's a spade or a digging shovel —after all, it's hard to get trees out of the ground without one! While an average spade or shovel will probably do the job just fine, a shovel...

In fact, some of the better garden tool maker's "potato forks" are made with the same strengths as their heavy-duty forks. (the strapped handle connection is considered the strongest handle connection available.) Great for breaking up the toughest of...

Why should you bother with this often thankless task? A hand-held grinder tool will also work, but a bastard file is certainly the cheapest option. To start sharpening, orient the front of the shovel or spade toward you, and secure the tool in your hands.

The beans can be easily harvested from both sides of the metal frame. Inner-Spring Trellis Jessica Walliser Anyone who has an old inner spring mattress sitting around might consider turning the spring frame into a bean trellis.

These come with either a wooden or a plastic handle, depending on the manufacturer. There are two common types of hand pruners: anvil and bypass. I swear that my Japanese weeding knife, called a hori hori, is one of the handiest and most multi-talented...

I grow it as an understory plant around my hostas and other taller shade plants to help keep the weeds at bay. Green-and-Gold ( Chrysogonum virginianum ) This beautiful little native ground cover is one of my favorites for its easy nature, deer resistance...

He was a really friendly guy and had a little workbench in the back of his car. I paid him 15 euros for three saws, which was about five minutes of work, and then he went happily on his way again.

Some of these items make great stocking stuffers while others will be too big to wrap. We use it to cut down our blackberry canes every spring. Although you can place ripening melons on a piece of cardboard or an inverted nursery flat to keep them from...

The downside, of course, is the expense—and expensive they are. Made from Velcro-brand fabric, the reusable pots come in 2- or 4-inch sizes. I have always grown my own transplants in either plastic nursery six-packs or in peat pots, but this year I...

Most of today's better tool makers use hardwood from FSC Certified forests.With all that said, let's have a closer look at some of the more popular gardening spades and how each type might help you with your gardening needs.(English) The garden spade...

These tools will probably be specific to your type of gardening.Pruners -Every gardener's go to pruning tool...buy a good pair and you'll have a lifetime garden tool.Hori Hori knife- this gardener's favorite is great for light digging, weeding, planting...

The Seikouba Sickle This Japanese hand tool is so spectacular that I have two. As the holiday season approaches, we often find ourselves scrambling to find that just-right present for a friend or loved one.

We're growing cucumbers on ours, but you could use the same trellis to grow pole beans, winter squash, watermelons and just about any other vining crop. Then drill the other 4-foot piece of 1×6 onto the base of the opposite leg.

You will not tire from carrying a staple gun around! 4. It's arguably easier to use than a household stapler. A staple gun is a useful tool to have around your farm. It Operates Without A Power Source One of this tool's biggest advantages?

Those are all adventures for another day as I move a little bit closer to a ship-shape shop. I secured 24-inch-long, 3/4- by 1-inch pieces of trim from a recent oak-flooring installation as bumpers to the ends of the four panels.

For those who are intrigued by the idea of having their own working anvil , there are multiple other options, including online sources and stores such as Northern Tool + Equipment.

“Match the equipment to the need and the situation,” says Vaughn Hammond, extension technologist at the University of Nebraska. I have two 4-gallon backpack sprayers and several handheld sprayers plus the use of a 25-gallon UTV-mounted sprayer and...

Hobby farmers should have no trouble coming up with a lengthy “I'm thankful for” list—in fact, there are so many things for hobby farmers to be thankful for, that their lists practically need sub-categorization! Let's get Thanksgiving week started...

Pruning Loppers Strong, powerful pruning loppers with handles at least 2 feet long are my favorite tree trimming tool. You never know when a tangle of branches might spring toward your face, and if you're not paying enough attention, it's always possible...

Next week, I will tackle reader Brent's comments on guarantees. A reader recently responded to a July blog post that talked about buying tools locally where you could get service. When it comes to tools that are high-use and high-wear, quality and dependability...

Only the cold weather allowed the snow to defy gravity and hover over the edge of the roof. Believe it or not, I'm using it for snow removal. I believe some farm tools can be used for jobs other than their intended purposes.

Models with wheels ranging from a few inches to about a foot in diameter are widely available. If it has been on the farm for this long, I might as well put it to use. Whereas small wheels are more likely to slip or get caught up in rough terrain, a large...

Earlier this spring, I was constructing a large garden fence using mesh wire, which had to be cut to specific sizes to span from post to post. In other words, wire cutters and bolt cutters are versatile tools that all hobby farmers should have in their...

I took it home and set it on my workbench. After all, it's the sharpest saw on the bench, and it does handle nicely! << More Shop Talk >> Tags Jim Ruen , tool , tools I know I will buy other new tools, like the sabre saw I recently picked up, but they...

I trimmed away lower branches and made the prerequisite cuts, taking out a large wedge across the face of the tree. << More Shop Talk >> Tags chainsaw safety , chainsaws It seemed to be defying the laws of gravity and the rules of physics.

The results from the refractometer are compared to Brix charts to find out the crop's rating (poor, average, good, excellent). Measuring Brix levels is another simple way to get information about the nutrient density of crops.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when shopping for a lawn aerator. This can be necessary if the soil in your lawn has too much thatch (dried plant remains) or is heavily compacted by frequent activity.