Top 10 Must-Have Garden Tools for 2023
In the world of allotment gardening, having the right tools can make a significant difference in your gardening experience. Here's a guide to the essential tools you'll need in 2023.
Hand Tools
Hand tools are indispensable for soil preparation, planting, and maintenance. Key hand tools include the hand trowel and hand cultivator, spade, hoe, and rake. Durable steel heads with hardwood handles are preferred for longevity and comfort.
- A hand trowel is a sturdy tool useful for planting out vegetable plants and onion sets.
- A spade, hoe, and rake are important for digging, shaping soil beds, weeding, and general soil work.
For clearing and maintaining larger or overgrown areas, especially at the start, you may need additional tools such as a clearing saw or brushcutter, garden pruner or chainsaw, and garden shredder.
Clearing Tools
Clearing and maintaining overgrown areas can be a challenging task. Tools like a clearing saw, brushcutter, pruner, chainsaw, and shredder are essential for this purpose.
Cordless Power Tools
Cordless power tools are increasingly popular due to their lightweight, quiet, efficient, and environmentally friendly nature. These include cordless hedge trimmers, grass trimmers, lawn mowers, and chainsaws. Tools powered by quick-charging lithium-ion batteries can share batteries across devices for cost and convenience.
Additional Gardening Practices
Crop rotation, using green manure, and watering are crucial practices for effective allotment gardening. These practices require the above tools for implementation.
Recommended Tools and Guides
- Garden lines, when pushed into the soil and stretched taut, help in planting and making seed drills in a straight line.
- A draw hoe is useful for weeding, drawing drills in the ground for seed sowing, and pulling the soil back over the seeds.
- For advice on the best trowels, there is a guide on the best hand trowels available.
- A border spade, smaller than a digging spade, lifts less soil, making it easier to use for extended periods.
- A wooden plank, laid on the ground next to drills or planting rows, prevents compaction and keeps the ground even.
- Trugs, used for collecting harvests, can be purchased on Amazon.
- There are guides available for choosing border spades, garden forks, and garden hoes.
- Kneelers, used for protecting knees while seed sowing, planting, and hand weeding, can be purchased on Amazon.
- There is a buyer's guide to the best garden hoes with a video available.
- There is a guide to the best garden trugs available.
Allotment Essentials
- To start an allotment, clear the plot as soon as possible, ideally over the autumn and winter months.
- An allotment is a plot of land where plot-holders can grow crops and flowers, with an allotment site manager overseeing things.
- Decide whether to build raised beds or grow crops directly in the ground.
- Remove debris, rubbish, unwanted plants, and weeds from the plot.
- Cover the ground with cardboard or black sheeting during winter to prevent nutrients from washing away and deter weed growth.
Allotment Etiquette
For advice on allotment etiquette, there is a guide available. It's essential to respect other plot-holders and follow specific tenancy rules.
In conclusion, these tools allow comprehensive management of an allotment garden from soil preparation to maintenance and harvesting, meeting the typical needs of allotment gardeners in 2023. With the right tools and practices, you're well on your way to a successful allotment gardening experience.
- Building raised beds can significantly enhance your home-and-garden lifestyle, as it allows for easy access to vegetables and promotes efficient gardening in a tidy, organized space.
- Maintaining a well-maintained allotment garden, complete with raised beds, can contribute to a fulfilling lifestyle, providing a source of fresh produce and adding a touch of beauty to your home-and-garden.
