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Post by daylilydude on Jan 14, 2018 8:04:03 GMT -5
If you had to pick one product that made the biggest improvement to your garden and would not want to do without it,what would that must have product be?
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Post by spike on Jan 14, 2018 9:24:55 GMT -5
This!! I would say a good 85% that I am outside, I have one of those with me and 100% of the time when I am in the garden.
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Post by hairymooseknuckles on Jan 14, 2018 9:42:54 GMT -5
A helper to do most of the work.
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aqua
Pro Member
Posts: 295
Zone:: 8b9a
Favorite Vegetable:: all of them
Joined: March 2012
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Post by aqua on Jan 14, 2018 9:44:04 GMT -5
A chicken.
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Post by september on Jan 14, 2018 10:06:31 GMT -5
A big heavy duty spading fork.
Can not do without one for loosening soil prior to deep weeding, turning over soil, working in manure, compost or fertilizer.
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Post by farmerjack41 on Jan 14, 2018 10:38:48 GMT -5
Great replys from all. For me with 2500 sq ft of garden, it would be my garden tractor. I use it for plowing, tilling, planting, cultivation, and harvest. At my age would not be able to keep up without it.
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Post by ahntjudy on Jan 14, 2018 11:27:08 GMT -5
Ground up leaves as mulch...
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Post by paulf on Jan 14, 2018 11:38:22 GMT -5
The use of newspaper and straw mulch and then tilling it under for organic material. As for machinery, the 38 year old Sears 5hp tiller. Even though it gets used less than it used to, I would be in trouble without it. I really want a fancier rear tine tiller,but I can't part with my old friend who starts up on one pull and runs as long as I ask it to.
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poppopt
Junior Member
Posts: 89
Joined: May 2017
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Post by poppopt on Jan 14, 2018 11:42:33 GMT -5
I think the tool I like the best and is one of my go-to tools is a stirrup hoe. I can do a LOT of work with that thing in just a short time. It can dress up a pretty good sized garden area in just a few minutes knocking down little weeds before they have a chance to get to be big weeds.
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Post by mgulfcoastguy on Jan 14, 2018 12:58:42 GMT -5
A nearby sister starting to keep horses. The #$%@ will grow anything.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Jan 14, 2018 13:33:54 GMT -5
Definitely that 'tiller I got in' 89. My garden increasd in size by about 5 or 600% in just a few years, and no way could I have done that by hand, nor could I have kept digging the garden through all these years.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Jan 14, 2018 14:12:38 GMT -5
One product? The Earthbox (or similar make homemade SIPs). Makes worlds of difference for me in the production of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, spinach, and some other veggies.
Next up is my hori-hori knife. It's terrific for digging small deep holes for transplanting tomato seedlings into tight spots (such as the slits on the plastic covers of my Earthboxes) and it's sharp enough to neatly cut out the roots of old plants with ease when I succession-plant.
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Post by meandtk on Jan 14, 2018 16:11:30 GMT -5
Hmmm...hard choice. I guess it is my BCS two wheel tractor, but my Ford 1700 tractor is almost indispensable.
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poppopt
Junior Member
Posts: 89
Joined: May 2017
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Post by poppopt on Jan 14, 2018 16:39:52 GMT -5
Hmmm...hard choice. I guess it is my BCS two wheel tractor, but my Ford 1700 tractor is almost indispensable. Would LOVE to have a BCS with a nice array of attachments. Can't afford one just now. Maybe someday...
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Post by tomike on Jan 14, 2018 16:49:03 GMT -5
I don't know what I would do without my little roto-tiller ..... come gardening time, he (it) is a good friend...... my best friend.....
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Post by brownrexx on Jan 14, 2018 17:34:13 GMT -5
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poppopt
Junior Member
Posts: 89
Joined: May 2017
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Post by poppopt on Jan 14, 2018 17:42:49 GMT -5
My most valuable tool is my Hula Hoe which is also called a stirrup hoe and I see that poppopt , uses one too. It is fabulous for quickly weeding an area by just pushing and pulling it along just under the soil and it loosens the soil too.
I think I bought mine about 3 years ago. I had seen them used in videos and thought I'd like to try one for myself. It wasn't expensive, probably under $20. There were quite a few mornings I would go out to the garden and spend maybe 15 or 20 minutes and pretty much went through the whole garden with the thing. It's very fast. Anymore, I wouldn't want to be without it. FWIW, a few minutes a day was worth more than half a day on the weekends, at least it was for me. Getting those weeds when they're just tiny is so much easier than when they've had a week to establish themselves.
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Post by spike on Jan 14, 2018 18:27:37 GMT -5
A chicken? QUA?!!? Please explain? My brain can't quite figure this one out!!! BUT . . . . . . A CHICKEN . . .
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Post by paquebot on Jan 14, 2018 21:29:22 GMT -5
Mantis tiller. First one in early-1980s was a blessing for the back injured in 1979. Prior to that, would come home from work and spade maybe an 8 x 8 area. First one was 15# and too light. Took probably 15 minutes to determine that and begin adding weight. 5# brick was perfect and advised that as soon as I became involved in garden forums. The engineers listened and second generation weighed 20#!
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by meandtk on Jan 14, 2018 21:33:38 GMT -5
Hmmm...hard choice. I guess it is my BCS two wheel tractor, but my Ford 1700 tractor is almost indispensable. Would LOVE to have a BCS with a nice array of attachments. Can't afford one just now. Maybe someday... I bought a very small one locally for $300 then saved a bit and bought a 715 off of Ebay a couple years ago. I'm slowly getting implements.
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aqua
Pro Member
Posts: 295
Zone:: 8b9a
Favorite Vegetable:: all of them
Joined: March 2012
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Post by aqua on Jan 15, 2018 17:28:23 GMT -5
spike, I would like a chicken to let it run around the garden, and eat the bugs. I'd like it to scratch up the soil, and I'd like to have access to what comes out of the south end of a northbound chicken. I'd also like a chicken so I could run around the yard, imitating it. Then I'd have an excuse. Maybe I misunderstood the question? I don't have a chicken... but I can dream.
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Post by brownrexx on Jan 15, 2018 17:56:24 GMT -5
aqua,I have about 8 chickens and they LOVE to dig in my garden. I love for them to do it but not during the growing season because they also like to peck tomatoes to get at the seeds. We let our hens free range in the late afternoon and one time I was in the garden harvesting veggies when I heard this slurping sound behind me. I turned around and discovered that 2 of the hens had followed me and they were pecking and slurping tomatoes right out of my basket which was sitting on the ground! Grrrrr. You really have to watch those girls. They don't only eat bugs. Here's a few of the girls looking for bugs DSC00639 by Brownrexx, on Flickr And here's a few helping in the garden after we roto tilled it in the Fall. They LOVE loose soil. DSC01755 by Brownrexx, on Flickr
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aqua
Pro Member
Posts: 295
Zone:: 8b9a
Favorite Vegetable:: all of them
Joined: March 2012
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Post by aqua on Jan 15, 2018 18:26:20 GMT -5
brownrexx, oh they are so precious!! and your chicken hut is so cute. Thank you for posting those- I love seeing pictures of what other people have.
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Post by brownrexx on Jan 15, 2018 18:48:22 GMT -5
aqua , if you think those are cute, check out my two favorites. They are Bantams so are very small. Their names are "Little White" and Little Brown". I am not real original with names. They are probably 4 years old so they don't lay eggs any more but are still pets. DSC00754 by Brownrexx, on Flickr
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poppopt
Junior Member
Posts: 89
Joined: May 2017
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Post by poppopt on Jan 15, 2018 19:19:33 GMT -5
You're makin' me miss my chickens...
Had about 60 or so laying hens at one time. Really enjoyed them. Have been contemplating getting some more, though probably wouldn't want that many to get started again.
Had mostly Rhode Island Reds but also had some Araucana, Buff Orpington, New Hamphire Reds, and even a couple of Leghorns with one of my first flocks. Oh, and a few Chinese Silkies that ran around the place... never really collected their eggs, though. We'd see these wee little white peeps running around behind their momma every so often. Cute...
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Post by Gianna on Jan 15, 2018 19:26:18 GMT -5
I'd love to have chickens, but there are just too many impediments here.
My soaker hoses. I love them.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Jan 15, 2018 22:42:45 GMT -5
Ah, I do wish that I could have a few chickens here. brownrexx, that's a lovely coop you have for your feathered friends.
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aqua
Pro Member
Posts: 295
Zone:: 8b9a
Favorite Vegetable:: all of them
Joined: March 2012
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Post by aqua on Jan 16, 2018 8:28:41 GMT -5
brownrexx, I'd carry them around and scratch their little necks under the feathers -
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Post by brownrexx on Jan 16, 2018 12:17:08 GMT -5
aqua, we do pet them sometimes and they "talk" to us. Some of our hens will follow us in the yard. It's cute.
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poppopt
Junior Member
Posts: 89
Joined: May 2017
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Post by poppopt on Jan 16, 2018 13:17:53 GMT -5
sometimes and they "talk" to us Oh, yes. They have quite the vocabulary, too. I don't know if you have a rooster or not but he can bob and weave and talk trash with the best of any creature out there. In my younger days, I could imitate more of their sounds. The ol' voice just ain't what it used to be, though.
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