Garden Mastery Tips
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November/December 2007 |
Gardening Gifts
The Rooter Pot
If you've ever had a problem propagating cuttings of woody plants, the Rooter Pot may be the solution. The Rooter Pot allows you to produce large, rooted plantlets from woody plants. So much easier than the traditional air layering, it's almost foolproof. Just choose a branch off a tree that you want to reproduce, attach the Rooter Pot according to the instructions, and in just 2 to 3 months you should have a well-developed root system inside the pot.
This product is a dream come true for many gardeners who like to propagate new plants and a great find for the bonsai enthusiast.
Offered as a set of five reusable pots with lids and 15 labels. Each pot is 3" in diameter and 4" deep. Made in Spain, this item is a winner of numerous international innovation awards. More important, it will save you money and make your gardening easier.
$19.50 for a set of 5 pots, with root hormone and syringe, available from Lee Valley and Veritas, http://www.leevalley.com.
Solar Powered Basket Rotator
This solar-powered hanger overcomes one of the biggest problems associated with growing plants in hanging baskets--uneven lighting. Instead of the hanging baskets receiving too much sunlight on one side, and too little on the other side, the hanger slowly rotates the basket so the plants receive even light throughout the day.
Solar Powered Roto-Basket Hanging Planter Carousel – works indoors and outdoors (for planters up to 25 lbs.) Can be ordered from the STI Group on-line or at 847-918-8558.Website: http://www.stigroupinc.com
Bionic Gardening Gloves
Designed by a renowned Orthopedic Hand Surgeon, for gardening, the Bionic glove has received an Ease-of-Use Commendation for its ability to assist in reducing hand fatigue, while helping to maintain grip strength.
The anatomically positioned palm pads support the hands natural closure and provide protection against development of calluses and or blisters.
Bionic™ is a division of Hillerich & Bradsby Company, makers of the world famous Louisville Slugger. They are located at 800 W. Main Street, Louisville, KY 40202. Call 1-877-524-6642 to order.
Rose Gloves
The Bionic Rose gloves have all the technology of the Bionic Gardening gloves but feature extra-long gauntlets made of Tough-Ex™ material that not only helps protect your forearms against thorns, but are also very lightweight and flexible to meet the extreme needs of rose gardeners. Padding on the palm, thumb and fingers also help reduce blisters. Motion zones over the knuckles and web zones between the fingers increase dexterity while allowing your hands to breathe. The quality kidskin leather is machine washable.
Information on cost and local availability can be found on their website: http://www.bionicgloves.com/gloves/.
Fiskars PowerGear® Garden Tools
Fiskars® Brands has received the Ease-of-Use Commendation for their PowerGear® line of garden tools. These revolutionary tools use gears to increase your cutting power. The ergonomic handle designs also make these tools easier to use. Fiskars offers its PowerGear technology in multiple pruner, lopper, and hedge shear products to fit all your gardening needs.
PowerGear tools are products of Fiskars Garden and Outdoor Living, located at 780 Carolina Street, Sauk City, WI 53583. Call 1-800-500-4849 for questions or comments about their products or visit their website: http://www.fiskars.com/
These products have received the "Ease of Use Commendation" by the Arthritis Foundation.
Hori Hori Tool
A multi-purpose stainless steel tool that will dig, weed, cut, scrape and saw. Heavy-duty rustproof blade is 6-3/4" long and nearly 1/8" thick, hardened for durability and polished for easy cleanup. The blade is securely attached to a hardwood handle and features depth markings from 25 to 150 mm. Includes leather sheath with belt loop. This tool to is very handy to root prune with, particularly in container pots. The cost runs $25-$30. Can be found at http://www.gemplers.com/item/139303.html
Hand Pruners
Every gardener needs at least one pair of hand pruners. As the saying goes, "you get what you pay for", and with this brand you can't go wrong. Felco offers a wide range of pruning tools, including left-handed styles. The very popular and original design Felco #2 is a good choice as well as the Felco #4. They are versatile enough to prune small caliber branches on shrubs, deadhead plants, as well as cut flower stems to bring indoors for arranging. The cost runs $45-$55. Can be found at http://www.felcostore.com/pruners.jsp
And don't forget, a most treasured gift for gardeners to receive is a gift certificate to any local garden shop or nursery.