Garden accessories: best tools and when to use them

The greatest advice for a successful garden? Being one step ahead. Gardening is a labour of love shown through regular maintenance. Though there will be many hours invested in the process, getting the overall job done is much easier with planning and the right garden accessories. Bring out your gardening game face and get ready to plan, plant and prune your way to a gorgeous garden with this guide.
 

Ease into each season

Your garden is constantly adapting to the natural elements around it. Whether faced by dry or wet conditions, combating pests or battling for survival amongst weeds — it is a living space that needs care and attention. These needs change with seasons and the demands of the region you live in. Navigate the two seasonal extremes of the year with our guides on how to prepare your garden for winter and summer.
 

Garden accessories: the top trusty tools

We stock a wide variety of Gardena garden accessories to help you accomplish each task. We stock everything from trowels to sprayers, with various sizes and models for you to choose from. For more information, explore our products at a Plantland store near you.
 

Summer
 

As summer is the hottest time of the year, you need to focus on watering your plants. Even if you live in a climate with tropical storms, your plants need monitoring during the scorching heat. Make sure you water in the morning or late evenings with either a watering can or with a hose for harder to reach areas of your garden, as well as deeply watering trees and shrubs. If you are unsure if you need to water, use a stick or a screwdriver to poke the ground and see if dry or wet soil gets revealed and assess appropriately.

Be sure to keep an eye on invasive weeds and check for pests. Use your trowel or a digging fork for light weeding and for larger mass weeding, and use a pitchfork or shovel, for added leverage for deeper roots.
 

Autumn 
 

As the seasons change and growth slows, your garden will accumulate dying foliage. Clear up fallen leaves with rakes and deposit into compost, while leaving some behind under shrubs to create protective mulch. If any leaves show signs of disease, they need to go straight into your refuse bins. Leaf blowers are great for bigger jobs. If you are considering planting during autumn, make sure to look at our expert advice about the correct protection for new plants and seedlings.
 

Winter
 

Continue to water throughout dry winter months to prevent root damage and apply mulch to reinforce moisture retention. Near the end of winter and into early spring, start your pruning. For smaller jobs, use secateurs, and for larger stems and branches, use loppers or a gardening saw. Cut 1.5 cm above buds at an angle, with the highest point away from the plant.
 

Spring

As spring is a time of growth, you will experience an increase in weeds in your garden. A good trick is to water areas with unwanted weeds in the evening and then the next day, pull out the weeds at the soil line. This eases the strain of pulling and snapping dry and tough weeds that embedded themselves during winter, while ensuring you take out the entire root system. Maintain a weekly weeding schedule throughout spring. Continue to clean up fallen leaves, but allow for a third to protect plants along soil beds. Use a tiller or a pitchfork to start turning the soil, to prepare beds for planting tender plants.
 

Caring for your tools and garden accessories

After you take on each task, be sure to clean and condition your tools. Rinse off tools to remove soil using soapy water and light scrubbing with a nail brush. Also, consider adding bleach to wash off diseases. We suggest soaking in a solution of 500ml bleach in 4 litres of water in a bucket and then rinsing with water. Afterwards, apply rubbing alcohol with a cloth or cotton pad to the tool and dry thoroughly.

To avoid rusting, apply boiled linseed oil to both the metal and wooden handles and wipe off after 15 minutes with a dry cloth. For rust removal, soak your tools in a solution of one part water, one part vinegar overnight. The next day, scrub lightly with steel wool, dry and then rub in linseed oil.

For sap residues, remove by wiping the areas with disinfecting wipes. And don’t forget to sharpen your blades! Use a file or sharpener in one direction, following the bevel angle — and remember to wear protective eyewear to guard against rogue metal slivers.
 

Grow a success story

Now you can take on your garden tasks throughout the seasons — just apply the right garden accessories and advice to get that gardening job dusted. If you have any questions regarding our tools available, visit your nearest Plantland store or contact us.