Products for Planting

Tag : gardening clogs

Footwear

Proper foot gear is essential to safety when doing heavy workoutdoors. Work boots should be comfortable all day and offer theprotection of steel toes. The LawnGrips Brutus waterproof boot hasthese qualities and more. It's a newly designed boot for landscapepros and homeowners that has all the features of quality footwear:It's flexible, comfortable and waterproof, and has a firm heelcounter that holds the foot in place, generous room in the toe boxand steel toes. Soles have beveled lugs that resist soil andprovide traction on wet or dry surfaces. $154.95.
LawnGrips also has redesigned its women's Nimbus garden clog,lightening its weight and making it more comfortable. The new clogoffers the same Grip-N-Go outsole with a non-slip, self-cleaninglug sole based on a soccer-shoe design for maximum traction. Nimbusclogs come in three colors -- brick, merlot and spice, available insizes 6 through 12. Tested in the garden by landscapeprofessionals, these clogs withstood slopes and unstable ground.They can kick a shovel or give traction for pushing a wheelbarrow.They're equally comfortable in and out of the garden and easy toslip off and on at the door. They have antimicrobial insoles,waterproof leather uppers and Dri-Tech lining to absorb moisture.$64.95. For information, see http:/ / www.lawngrips.com or call 877-447-4771.
Gloves

There are gloves for everyday protection that will shield yourhands without reducing your tactile ability when working withtools, especially operating switches on equipment. Mechanix Wearmakes a complete line of gloves that you can wear while turningnuts and bolts, pulling weeds, pruning trees and shrubs, installingplants and safely using hand tools. The palms are made of syntheticleather, the top from stretch Spandex for ventilation, with Lycrapanels between the fingers for maximum flexibility. These fabricsare tightly bonded and machine-washable.
Mechanix Wear gloves are manufactured in various fabric weightsthat retain their strength while protecting your hands from poisonivy, buried objects, blisters, cuts and abrasions. There arewomen's and men's styles, and both come in small, medium and large.The women's line is designed for a slimmer, smaller hand, offeringthe same protection as the Utility and Original models for men.
The Utility is a thin-fabric glove for everyday use, with elasticat the wrist to keep dirt from getting inside. It's tough enough topull weeds and plants and thin enough to pick up a dime. TheOriginal is a thicker glove for more protection, with a Velcroclosure at the wrist. The men's line is designed for highperformance and also includes the Impact model. The Impact hasadditional thermal plastic rubber ribs for extra hand, knuckle andfingertip protection. Prices: All-Purpose Utility, $14.99; Women'sUtility, $16.99; Women's Original, $24.99; Men's Original, $24.99;Impact, $29.99. See http:/ / www.mechanix.com or call 800-222-4296.
Tools

Raking leafs; cleaning up from lawn dethatching; shredding leavesto reuse as mulch; and sweeping your driveway, sidewalk, patio anddeck have become easier. Toro's electric Ultra Blower Vac isengineered to use a metal impeller to vacuum and grind leaves intoa bag, reducing them to one-sixteenth the volume of a pile of rakedleaves. The shredded debris is collected in a bag that slips overyour shoulder and attaches to the blower. Remove the bag and attachthe blower nozzle to clean up after yourself.
Most debris is collected without blowing particulate material intothe air. It shreds material to the perfect texture for compostingin much less time than unground leaves. The blower's wind speedvaries up to 235 miles per hour, controlled with a dial. Becauseit's electric and the engine speed is adjustable, this blower canbe more quiet than others. $85.99.
For light sweeping, the Toro Power Sweep electric blower is asmaller, lighter tool. It's almost as efficient as the Ultra forblowing leaves into a pile. I was impressed with its efficiency (upto 160 mph wind) but was surprised that it ran so loudly. It wasconsiderably quieter on the lower of its two speeds. Best used foroccasionally sweeping the driveway and walks or cleaning raingutters, not major accumulations of leaves that can be raked.
The Power Sweep could keep you from injuring plants by blowing outaround shrubs and other obstacles on your property, as opposed tousing a rake. $34.99. For more information on both products, check http:/ / www.toro.com/ home/ yardtools or call 888-384-9939.
Plant Helpers

Soil preparation is one of the most important elements in planthealth. A new product by Nature's Lawn & Garden, AerifyPlus, uses a combination of popular growth stimulants and a soilconditioner. Initially, use it every one to two months to boostplant growth and improve soil drainage over several seasons. Youshould notice a difference in plant vigor within an application ortwo. Substances build up over time. Plant and soil activators areexcellent organic additions to your soil. This conditioner won'tburn plants, and it reduces soil compaction; helps condition clay;improves aeration; stimulates plant growth, rooting and structure;and increases humus. Works best watered within several days afterapplication. Price for a quart with ready-to-use sprayer: $21.95.See http:/ / www.natureslawn.com or call 716-681-7793.
In terms of watering in soil conditioners and fertilizers, as wellas general irrigation during summer heat, one of the simplestdo-it-yourself irrigation systems I have seen is made by Toro. Youwill find its 1/4 -inch Blue Stripe tubing Drip Valves starter kit( http:/ / www.toro.com/ sprinklers/ bsd/ kits ) to be an excellent beginning. The kit comes with a hose, aselection of emitters, connectors and a faucet connector. It isversatile; simple to install; and practical for use on trees,shrubs and perennials. The starter kit is $9.99. Extra 1/4 -inchhose: $15.47 for 100 feet.
Your plants can benefit greatly from wildlife repellents, usedproperly. Liquid Fence ( http:/ / www.liquidfence.com ) and Plantskydd ( http:/ / www.plantskydd.com ) are two we have tried. All herbivore repellents have commontraits: They are based on exuding a scent or animal flavor, andthey must have residual value. Many plants are salad bars for deerand rabbits. The longest residual value we could discern was abouttwo to three months, without heavy rain.
Plantskydd is considered to be effective for up to six months, evenwith rain, if applied 24 hours before any precipitation. LiquidFence comes with a money-back guarantee. One quart of ready-to-useLiquid Fence is $15 to $18. Plantskydd is $25 to $30 but isconsidered more effective because the plant retains its repellingability for up to six months.
Joel M. Lerner is president of Environmental Design in Capitol ViewPark, Md. E-mail or contact him through his Web site, http:/ / www.gardenlerner.com .