Christmas gift lists, what tools do you want for gifts, but are too cheap, like me, to pay for!

[Alasgun]

I till with the Mantis, trowel the bed smooth with a 24inch cement finishing trowel and compress the surface a bit with the same trowel, dibble the whole bed at once, use a second stair tred to lay across the top of the bed for me to lean on while i seed each hole.
Once the seeds are in i brodcast 50/50 potting soil and compost over the bed to cover the seeds; pinching takes too much time and defeats the purpose of a “perfectly prepared bed”.
Then compress the surface a little more. It sounds WAY more involved than it really is. I can do 3 beds in a day pretty easy. Once the beds are seeded i run a sprinkler for a bit to evenly wet the surfaces and in a couple days lay my drip lines; and kick back for the year!

 

[ducks4you]

Nope. Preparation is Always key, and a lot of questions of Why didn't this grow well? can be answered by,
What did you do to prepare the soil for the seeds?

 

[heirloomgal]

pinching takes too much time

Agreed! And it is such a *not fun* job! DD seeded all the carrot beds this year and it was done so perfectly I didn't need to thin at all. This is because, like me, the girl loathes thinning carrots! She may have even over spaced them! lol

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

My hands are toast after years of hand clipper trimming.
Last x-mas I was gifted a battery op clipper and small chain hand saw.
These may be a bit spendy butt..This x-mas chainmail gloves would help protect my fingers from accidental damage from those battery op clippers they cut quickly and I want to keep all my fingers even though my fingers don’t all work all that well due to Dupuytren’s contracture.

 

[ducks4you]

Funny, the older you get, the more your wish lists include energy, dexterity and time!
IF I am healthy enough next Spring, I would LOVE to cut paper grocery sacks up and lay them in between my garlics so I won't have to weed the bed. DD planted them 6 inches apart, told me that she also planted them in neat rows, so it Shouldn't be hard.
Wouldn't be expensive--7 cents/ALDI paper grocery sack.
WOULD wear me out!

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

Funny, the older you get, the more your wish lists include energy, dexterity and time!
IF I am healthy enough next Spring, I would LOVE to cut paper grocery sacks up and lay them in between my garlics so I won't have to weed the bed. DD planted them 6 inches apart, told me that she also planted them in neat rows, so it Shouldn't be hard.
Wouldn't be expensive--7 cents/ALDI paper grocery sack.
WOULD wear me out!

How bout a paper shredder maybe save your thumbs and energy . A bit faster add a bit of water to dampen the shreds to stick together then spread . Make those lil bugs work thru curly paper maze.
Hopefully in a few months your energy level will be good. My surgeon recommended protein shakes , always made me feel a lot better.

 

[ducks4you]

Here is a product like one that I already own and I keep it on top of the fridge. Although the price for this one (and probably for the replacement of mine) is 150% of what I originally paid for mine, it isn't hard to find replacement bulbs. THIS one has a different plug--mine plugs into an outlet, 2 prong, doesn't matter. It has a small footprint and tall enough for most starts.
This has the added benefit of a built in timer.

• You control how long your light stays on with the built-in timer.

Epic Seed Starting Grow Lights Small

Starting seeds indoors just got easier! This Epic Seed Starting Grow Light gives you the ability to start seeds in a more adaptable form. Grow plants year-round indoors and get strong, healthy seedlings. Ultra-bright, full-spectrum LEDs are engineered for perfect seedlings. Better than...

www.botanicalinterests.com

 

[ducks4you]

Back in stock and shippable for Christmas. I HIGHLY recommend this, and not expensive:

Hydrofarm 7" Vented Dome - CK64081 | Blain's Farm & Fleet

Get your Hydrofarm 7" Vented Dome - CK64081 at Blain's Farm & Fleet. Buy online, choose delivery or in-store pickup. Great prices on Seed Starting.

www.farmandfleet.com

 

[baymule]

How about a greenhouse for seed starting?

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hastings-Home-Hastings-Home-Walk-In-Greenhouse-4-69-ft-L-x-4-69-ft-W-x-6-39-ft-H-Pop-Up-Greenhouse/1002548742?store=&cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-lum-_-ggl-_-CRP_SHP_PLA_LUM_Online_E-F-_-1002548742-_-online-_-0-_-0&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W_Mrl0DHvZp7Z7moGVBNa-J1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuqrA0oeEigMVCjfUAR1BHRZkEA0YAyABEgLkIPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

https://mobileimages.lowes.com/productimages/fbfb0b1d-98a4-4952-b7c2-001a3e9c15e8/15084387.jpg?size=mpdhi

 

[baymule]