Anyone who ever tried their hand at gardening will readily tell you that all you need are basic tools, seeds or seedlings, water, and a good place to plant them. If you push them a little further, they’d add fertilizer and compost, among other things. But since it’s 2019, business-minded people have come up with different devices and thingamajigs that make gardening a whole lot easier. In fact, some of these interesting gardening products are so brilliant, that you’d want to get your hands and green thumbs on them right now.
Fabric Pots
Plastic pots and bags are not great for the environment which is quite contrary to your goal of homesteading. If you want to become self-sustaining, you’d want the land to be fertile forever so you can produce your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
Fabric pots are better alternatives since these gardening products are made of non-breakable fabric that can be reused a number of times. The fabric keeps the roots cool during summer and lessens the need for repotting. Best of all, these gardening products help the plants grow to their full potential.
Soaker Hose
Who would have known the common garden hose can still be vastly improved? Luckily, there are those who continue to create and improve such gardening products.
A soaker hose is more efficient than a common hose or a sprinkler. It lessens water use by 90% thanks to its weeping action and even distribution of water. You can also use a soaker hose above or below the ground. Burying your soaker hose up to 6 inches deep is a more efficient way to water your plants.
The Pro Series Soaker Hose will put a smile on environmentalists’ faces since it’s made of recycled materials, old tires to be precise. Its double thick walls make the hose resistant to kinking and bursting while also preventing the “geyser” effect.
Composter
A composter is one of the most beneficial gardening products that every home should have. For one, it lessens the trash you have to throw away. Instead of adding your kitchen scraps, grass clippings, and even cardboard boxes to your pile of garbage, you just have to throw them into your composter and let nature take its course.
The Spruce takes a deeper look at composting. Take a look to learn more about its many benefits to your garden and to the environment.
The Jora Composter is a dual chamber compost tumbler that lets you make two batches of compost at the same time. This will make sure you never run out of compost to use for your garden.
The Composter is made of sturdy, rust-resistant galvanized steel and is designed to keep pests, particularly rodents, away. It is also insulated to hasten the process and to allow it to continue composting even in cold weather.
These ingenious garden products are available in sizes of 4.5 and 9.5 cubic feet. The former is suited for households with up to four members while the latter is best for families of more than four people.
Precision Weeder
There was a time when weeding was done using your bare hands or at least with gloves on. When hand-pulling is not enough, you use a shovel or trowel to dig out the weeds. Nowadays, there are multiple kinds of these gardening products.
One such weeding tool is the CobraHead Precision Weeder and Cultivator. This belongs to the short handle version of such gardening products. This particular weeding tool features a sharp blade shaped like a steel claw, which makes it easier and more effective in getting rid of weeds.
Rain Barrel
We’ve been hearing a lot about water shortage in recent years. As a matter of fact, some states in the country, including Washington and North Dakota are currently experiencing drought. With this in mind, we need to conserve water, which is quite difficult if you are tending to your own garden.
Fortunately, there are gardening products that let you save water. The Great American Rain Barrel, for example, are huge container made from repurposed olive barrels that are used for gathering rainwater. The water then passes through a diverter and then a downspout.
The rain barrels are safe from the effects of UV rays. They also come with a screen that keeps the mosquitoes from laying their eggs in the water. The durable barrels are easy to install and link to other barrels with ease.
Soil Moisture Meter
Back in the day, you just had to trust your instinct that you were not overwatering or underwatering your plants. Now, you have gardening tools that measure the moisture content of the soil.
The Soil Moisture Meter comes with an 8-inch probe, which is inserted into the soil until it reaches the root level. It will then tell if the soil is too wet or too dry allowing you to make the necessary adjustments and keep your plants healthy.
Water Timer
During the times that you can’t tend to your plants, you need certain gardening products that will water your plants for you. This is particularly important if you can’t be bothered for the day.
The Dramm Mechanical Water Timer can be set to water the plants at a certain time of the day. You can turn the sprinkler or hose on and let the device do its job. It will automatically shut off.
All you have to do is attach the timer to the faucet and then the hose to the timer. Make sure they’re tightened together so they stay together once the water flows. You can now set the timer for up to 120 minutes.
Sunlight Calculator
Plants need sunlight to thrive. Too much exposure to the sun, however, may be detrimental to some plants. Lack of sunlight, meanwhile, will also negatively affect other plants. You need gardening products such as a sunlight calculator to determine certain spots in your yard where specific plants will flourish.
The Rapitest Sunlight Calculator determines the accumulated photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) or simply the amount of sunlight that falls on a particular portion of your garden. It will tell you if the spot receives full sun, partial sun, partial shade, or full shade. You can then use this piece of information to plan your garden.
Sonic Molechaser
Pests such as rodents are one of the pet peeves of every gardener. These pests trample and munch on your plants and all you can do is wait until you get a chance to catch them. But that was then. Now, we gardening products that get rid of these pests without resorting to guns and inhumane traps.
The Sonic Molechaser is as badass as it sounds. It looks like a harmless metallic rod or stake but it can actually drive away rodents and keep your garden free of these pests. The harmless part actually holds true since the waterproof Molechaser only uses underground sonic pulse to keep the rodents away.
Smart Fertilizer
Nope. You don’t get to talk to Siri and ask her to apply fertilizer to your garden, smart fertilizers are called such because these gardening products are gradually released over a period of time. Smart, right?
The Osmocote Smart-Release Plant Food is a fertilizer with a 14-44-14 nutrient content. It is perfect for vegetables and flowering plants, particularly perennials ones.
Every gardener, especially homesteaders, should watch out for new gardening products that aim to make our a little easier while also helping tend to Mother Earth. There are lots of other gardening products other than the ones listed here. If you know one, please share with us in the comment section. You can also take a look at this series of gardening guides from Growing Veggies on how to grow different kinds of vegetables. Visit The Gentleman Pirate, as well, to learn more about gardening and similar topics.
Just a disclaimer – We have partnered with these companies because we use their products and/or proudly trust and endorse them – so we do receive a commission if you make a purchase or sign up for services. Often, we are able to negotiate special discounts and/or bonuses, which we will pass on to you via our links. We often get short notice on sale items available for 24-48 hours as we will pass these savings onto you.
