Sprinklers


"Thanks" to climate change, the temperature on the planet is rising, and the lack of moisture is felt even in those regions of the country where droughts were rare before. But water is a necessary condition for the development and growth of plants. Sprinklers will help you cope with watering the beds. Buy yourself at least one — and you will no longer need to roast in the sun, watering trees, bushes and beds from a manual sprayer.

There are many types of sprinklers, but for watering the beds, in our opinion, oscillating sprinklers are best suited. They are inexpensive (even the coolest models rarely cost more than $50, and the “low-cost” ones do fit in at $25) and very simple in design. The advantage of this type of sprinklers is their principle of operation. Water is sprayed as "naturally" as possible and falls to the ground from a height of several metres. The size of the drops and the speed of their fall are almost identical to normal light rain. Some models, in addition to spraying large drops with a “fan” (optimal for a vegetable garden and lawn), can form a “fog” in the form of a suspension with the smallest particles of water (perfect for working in a greenhouse).

Oscillating sprinklers (unlike impulse and "turntables") are suitable for irrigating rectangular areas ranging from 1 to 4 acres. To connect your sprinkler to a pump or garden tap, you will need the exact same hoses and connectors that you use for your spray gun.

The best sprinklers for lawns and vegetable gardens are produced by Gardena, Karcher and Fiskars. If you take simpler brands, then good and inexpensive models can be found in the catalogs of sprinklers Claber, Verto, Rehau, Hozelock, Cellfast, Aquapulse and some other brands.

Sprayers


Every gardener knows that only weeds grow by themselves. And cultivated plants require careful care. An important part of this process is the treatment of beds and bushes with all sorts of pesticides and herbicides, as well as the introduction of “feeding” into the soil, which contains useful micro and macro elements. To work with water-soluble chemicals and fertilizers, you will need a sprayer. If we proceed from the fact that we go to the country to relax, and not to strain, then it is better to stop at a small manual model with a volume of 1 – 2 liters. Great small lever or pump mounted sprayers can be found in the Marole, Gloria and Gardena catalogues. With the help of small volume sprayers, it is especially convenient to carefully treat flowers in flowerbeds and in pots or the ovary on bushes and trees. But if you plan to spray 1 – 2 acres at a time, then it is better to immediately take a pump-action device with a volume of 5 – 10 liters, which is worn not in the hands, but on the shoulder.

In addition to caring for plants, there will always be other work for a sprayer in the country. It can be used to spray soapy water with foam when washing windows or cleaning a bicycle after walking on field and forest dirt roads. That is, a cheap sprayer can partially replace a rather expensive mini-sink.

garden tools


In the arsenal of every amateur gardener, there must be tools that are convenient for work: a scoop with a shovel, a rake with a pitchfork, glanders or a hoe. If you know how not only to spud potatoes, but also to take care of bushes and trees, then you will definitely need secateurs, scissors and a garden knife. It also does not hurt to have a root remover and planting forks on the farm.

In terms of small hand garden tools, the Finnish company Fiskars has no equal. Her secateurs and garden knives are considered reference. In this segment, Swedish Bahco, Japanese Samurai, Finland, plus a couple of other premium manufacturers compete with it. But not everyone can afford to buy a knife for picking in the ground for $100 or a secateurs for $200. Therefore, it is better to look for a good garden tool in the catalogs of Gardena, as its products are considered a kind of "golden mean" in terms of quality and price. If you need a low-cost solution, then you should buy a garden tool manufactured by Yato, Intertool, Centroinstrument or Berger.

To store all of the above, it is worth getting a bag. Something like a box chair is best, on which you can sit near a flower bed or garden bed.

electroshovel


Digging six acres, armed with a shovel, is a trifling matter if you are young, strong and healthy. But the irresistible craving for agriculture sometimes comes already at the age when such "exploits" lead to a visit to the clinic. Therefore, it is worth getting an electroshovel — a small cultivator for giving or a personal plot. Unlike large, noisy and smelly walk-behind tractorsrunning on gasoline or diesel fuel, household electric cultivators are mains powered. Their power, usually, does not exceed 1.5 – 2 kW (like an electric kettle). Therefore, even in a dacha cooperative with poor power supply, there will be no voltage drop in the network, and the cultivator will not need to use a generator or UPS to operate.

Electric shovels are great for loosening soil, breaking up clods and cutting weed roots. They are compact and manoeuvrable, can work in flowerbeds and greenhouses. The lightest of them weigh less than 4 kg. Therefore, even fragile women and older people do an excellent job with these devices.

Cars


A gardener or gardener can't do without a wheelbarrow. Still, with its help it is much more convenient to move soil, peat, manure and compost than in your hands. Many summer residents prefer good old metal cars with struts and galvanized bodies. They have a body volume of 50 liters and a load capacity of at least 100 – 200 kg. But do you go to the country to strain from weights? In our opinion, carts like those produced by Keter and Prosperplast are better suited for a modern, well-groomed dacha with a neat lawn, flower beds and small beds. They are made of plastic and therefore weigh much less than metal counterparts of the same volume. High-quality ABS plastic is used — an impact-resistant and hygienic material that is not afraid of frost and resistant to ultraviolet radiation. Plastic is easy to clean from under the hose and, of course, does not suffer from corrosion.

Carts shaped like a large bucket on wheels are more convenient to store in a pantry than conventional wheelbarrows, as they take up less space. And they fit perfectly into narrow garden paths. The lightweight and manoeuvrable plastic trolley can be used for more than just transporting manure or dug up potatoes. In the country, it is also useful in order to collect fallen leaves, mowed lawn grass and rotten apples into it, as well as transport coal and firewood from the boot of a car closer to the barbecue or grill.

Composters


Many grow vegetables on their own in garden beds and greenhouses to be sure that the products that end up on the table are free of chemicals and GMOs. Therefore, it makes sense to feed your cucumbers and tomatoes with compost — the best organic fertilizer. And it’s even better to make compost yourself (the Internet is full of recipes and recommendations) — then you will know for sure that there are no parasites, no chemical additives, no heavy metals in it.

A compost bin, into which grass, leaves, twigs, bark, hay, straw and other “ingredients” are poured, can be a hole dug in the ground or a wooden box. But it's better to just buy a good composter, than to make it yourself from improvised materials or use the first container that comes across. The best manufacturers ( Keter, Prosperplast, Graf Skates and a number of other companies) make composters from special plastic that does not rot, is not afraid of frost, tolerates heat well, and is resistant to chemicals and microorganisms.

Modern composters are open or closed tanks and boxes. These are aesthetic designs that do not spoil the appearance of a summer house or a personal plot. They have a well-thought-out air circulation system (it is necessary for aerobic processes of organic decomposition) and a practical design that makes it easy to pour new portions of "ingredients" into the top of the box, mix them and remove the finished compost from the lower layers. Therefore, good purchased composters are more convenient to use than home-made ones.

We hope this collection was informative and useful for you. But if you plan not to work in the country, but only to relax, then check out the article “Six useful products for the backyard plot”.