Gardening

Taking the time to prepare the soil before planting a garden is an essential step that improves drainage and helps to ensure robust plants with strong roots. A rotary tiller breaks up hard lumps of soil and helps produce clean, straight furrows. A sharp pickaxe can extract tough roots from your gardening bed, and hoes, forks, and shovels are other must-have tools for aerating, digging, cultivating, and weeding. Spades allow you to turn the ground over once you have removed debris, and a rake creates a level planting surface. Sturdy tools with wood handles and carbon steel or stainless steel blades tend to stand the test of time, and a heavy-duty utility cart lets you wheel pallets of flowers and vegetation out to your planting area with less effort and fewer trips.

Enriching soil with organic matter helps provide the nutrients plants need. Overstock's collection of tumbling composters converts vegetable peelings, leaves, wood, and other natural materials into mulch to nourish your plants. Dehydrated and granulated chicken manure is a natural product that adds nutrients to the soil, helping vegetables, fruits, flowers, and trees grow strong and healthy. Organic blood meal, supplements, or micronutrient fertilizers can also boost soil nutrients and promote hearty plants.

An analyzer probe helps you keep a close eye on the soil's moisture, sunlight exposure, balance, and pH level. The probe is designed to be inserted into the soil to provide accurate measurements, so you can make the necessary adjustments to maintain optimal growing conditions as fluctuations occur. Electronic pH and temperature meters have easy-to-read displays and long battery life, and some models are waterproof for worry-free use outdoors and feature a hold function that lets you easily record your measurements.

An all-purpose garden trowel is a basic hand tool that belongs in every gardener's tool belt. It makes it easy to scoop out dirt and create holes for your plants or seeds. Models made from stainless steel resist rust, and are an excellent choice for outdoor use. Some trowels combine a serrated edge for cutting with a pointed tip for digging, while straight-edged trowels are useful for leveling.

Grow tents are portable structures that make it possible to raise plants indoors all year-round. Easy to assemble and space efficient, grow tents usually feature interior walls made of reflective material. These controlled growing environments can be combined with air filters and fans to regulate air quality. Greenhouses are permanent growing environments that protect delicate shoots during cold weather and allow you to cultivate seasonal plants year-round. A small greenhouse can fit easily in most indoor spaces, while larger models are ideal for a spacious backyard. Plant lights simulate the rays of the sun to encourage plant growth, even in low-light settings, and heaters and ventilation systems keep the temperature and humidity in the greenhouse within preferred ranges for your plant types.

Potted plants can quickly become dehydrated in dry indoor environments. Handheld watering cans with ergonomic handles make it easy to keep their soil moist, and some models feature long, slim spouts for precise watering and less mess. Self-contained watering spikes composed of a small water reservoir and a pick that goes directly into the soil help keep your plants hydrated when you need to be away from home for a few days. For outdoor plants, a powerful nozzle or sprayer enhances the functionality of watering hoses, and attaching a wand helps you water hanging pots and other hard-to-reach plants. A hose storage unit attached to an exterior wall keeps your garden hose neatly rolled and free of kinks.

Weeds are an inevitable part of gardening. Protective gloves help keep your hands shielded when you spend a long afternoon pulling up weeds by the roots. Gloves also keep your hands and fingers from coming into contact with sap and allergens. Specialized weeding tools with long handles help spare your back by allowing you to stand while extracting weeds. When weeds begin to flourish too quickly to control with a weeding tool or by hand weeding, weed killers can help get the issue under control. Some varieties of weed killer work double duty by including plant food or insecticides. A layer of mulch also works to inhibit weed growth.

Removing deadwood and leggy twigs with hand pruners or gardening shears will keep your plants looking full and healthy, and a few snips here and there can keep tender herbs well trimmed. Some pruners feature telescoping handles that let you easily chop off hard-to-reach branches, while models with compound leveraging mechanisms make cutting easier. A ratchet pruner lets you cut through thicker branches in small, incremental cuts with minimal physical effort and strain on your wrists. For really tough branches, a pruning saw or a tree pruner can handle the job. An electric hedge trimmer is ideal for tackling large sculpting and landscaping tasks or if you have many bushes and plants that require regular pruning.

Small critters and bugs can quickly wreak havoc on a backyard garden. Overstock carries organic mole and gopher repellents that deter burrowing animals from intruding on your garden without harming the animals. Overstock also has kits for constructing raised beds that can keep rabbits and other small wildlife from nibbling on your tender plants. A bug zapper or flycatcher can prevent flying insects from swarming your flowers and plants so that you can work outside in comfort. Insecticidal sprays, foggers, and soaps can also reduce the insect population in your garden and help prevent bugs from damaging your plants, while a simple scarecrow can frighten away birds.