Mini Tools for Mini Gardens

Most of the tools you see in nurseries are for outdoor gardening. Few are for indoor container gardening. So I came up with my own set of mini tools for mini gardens.

From Left to Right

1.        Metal fork – 2 for a $1 at Dollar Tree. Not shown 2 large spoons for a $1 at Dollar Tree
2.       Plastic Fork saved from a take out meal
3.       Small pair of sharp pointed scissors for harvesting herbs or trimming out problem sprigs. These are old fly tying scissors but an inexpensive pair of sewing scissors will work too. Cost should be no more than $5 or $6 dollars.
4.      Pair of forceps from my fly tying kit. These are available in fly shops. I like them because they have a positive grip. I use them for picking up dropped leaves and other items from the pot which could cause disease. An inexpensive pair of long tweezers would work as well for this purpose.
5.       Wooden toothpicks. I use them for tilling the top ½ inch of soil after watering to allow the soil to breathe better and not sit soggy. These are an old brand called World’s Fair Brand that is no longer made. Diamond Brand in Minnesota still makes tooth picks out of white birch which is the best wood for toothpicks. But changing manners and public perception are making the toothpick a thing of the past. The cheap Chinese kind are not good because they are brittle and break too easy.

Alternatives – Party tooth picks are an alternative and Dollar Tree sells 1,000 bamboo picks for a $1.00. These picks would also work and for a buck you have a lifetime supply.
6.       Last on the right is a Hydrofarms three in one meter. Water, PH and Light. This cost me 9.97 or so and was now one of my best tools. To get a proper reading set it to the water side and insert the probes no more than 1/3 the soil depth you are measuring. Suzy at Tagawa Gardens suggests no more than 2 inches is enough to get a proper reading. Marking the probes 2 inches from the bottom with a permanent marker is the easiest way to tell how far you have them in the soil.

If the meter is in the red zone, it is time to water. Or you may have a meter graduated in numbers. In this case, when it reads a (1) you need to water.
7.       Top Rear is a 1 and 1/2 inch soft bristle paint brush. This is a great tool for cleaning up when done transplanting or brushing soil crumbs from around the drain saucers. This could be a larger brush but this is what I had laying around.
8.      Bottom front is a set of $1 measuring cups from Dollar Tree. These are useful for measuring out soil, perlite and cactus mix when making potting soil. The one cup is also useful for putting the mixed soil into a one gallon plastic bag for storage.
9.       Not shown is a $1 set of measuring spoons from (you guessed it) the Dollar Tree store.

If you don’t have a dollar tree store in your area, try this Google query.
http://www.dollartree.com/custserv/locate_store.cmd

In the UK, Poundland stores are similar.
http://www.poundland.co.uk/

Disinfecting your tools:

To avoid spreading fungi and other diseases from pot to pot, it is important to disinfect your tools between uses. Especially the water meter as the probes can carry spores from pot to pot. The other tools are your mixing fork or potting soil mixing tool, your mixing container and your cutting scissors or harvesting tool.

For a quick disinfect, use Clorox wipes or similar wipes between pots. The wipes are about $5 in the grocery store or check the Dollar Tree.

For a better disinfection, use a 10% bleach solution deep enough to soak the tools for at least 5 minutes.