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concerned in micro - farming , but do n’t know where to begin ? conceive it or not , you only need 9 tools to get started . These easygoing - to - receive instrument for micro - farming will set the stage for productive ontogenesis !
The pursual is an excerption fromThe Lean Micro FarmbyBen Hartman . It has been adapted for the WWW .
Unless otherwise noted , all photographs and illustrations copyright © 2023 by Clay Bottom Farm .
Bed preparation rake with tubes for row Adding fixed-blade sweeps is a way to marking.
Tools for Micro-Farming: Starter Kit Tools
These are canonic tools that I recommend for micro farming . They add a sight of note value at a comparatively low price . They are all you really need to get started .
In fact , I also recommend this starter kit for home nurseryman , except for the roulette wheel hoe . If you have a very tiny game , a steering wheel hoe might be unwieldy .
Vital Field Tools for Micro-Farming
Bed preparation rake with underground for row Adding specify - blade sweeps is a fashion to marking .
We accomplish most of our oeuvre with just seven field tools . In order of how oft we use them , here are the subject field tool I kept throwing into the back of the van along with a word about how to use them .
1. 30″ Bed Preparation Rake
This rake is distinct from a standard garden rake because the slant of its tines can be adjusted to in effect “ skim ” seam of junk while standing in a comfortable upright position and because it is lighter in weight unit .
Its tine can glide collinearly with the soil aerofoil , do it an ideal tool for no - till bed preparation . A standard slant would get the picture too profoundly . It also features a longer handgrip than most rakehell .
We habituate this tool almost daily to unmortgaged bed of debris and to even them before planting . The pitch is uncommitted at Johnny ’s Selected Seeds , and a heavier - duty interlingual rendition is sell through Earth Tools .
sum up fix - blade sweep is a way toupgrade a bicycle hoe .
Johnny ’s also sell row markers , thermionic valve that can be place over selected tine to aid in marking rows . Or you’re able to dilute your own tubes from trash 1/2″ PEX plumbing pipes .
2. Fixed-Blade Sweeps on a Wheel Hoe
The desexualise - steel sweeps from Hoss Tools can be adapt to match on many types of wheel hoes . Our wheel hoe is from Glaser .
The blade are sturdy and “ fixed , ” meaning they do n’t swivel like an oscillating hoe . Power from your upper body is transferred directly to the grease .
We practice the sweeps to cultivate pathways , and we rely on them to relax compacted soil , a job typically reserved for broadforks . We’ve found the sweeps to be more ergonomic and quicker to use than broadforks . We also apply this peter to slice underneath roots to loosen them .
The adjustable - breadth pitch is one of our most - used tools .
3. Aluminum Scoop Shovel
The baseborn scoop shovel earned its coveted spot on our prick inclination because it ’s multifunctional . We spread compost with it and apply it to rank
pathways . Scoop shovels are available in a mixture of width , andI commend buying one whose front edge matches the breadth of your paths between growing beds .
4. Adjustable-Width Rake
This downcast - cost rip characteristic tine that can be adjusted between 6″ and 24″ blanket . We bought ours at a local hardware storehouse .
We apply it to clean pathway , glance over debris from grow beds , and for cosmopolitan yard cleanup .
If you own just one hoe , I recommend the half moon hoe because it is ergonomic to use , durable , and can pass mourning band in besotted spaces .
5. Half Moon Hoe
This classic European tool is both powerful and precise . Its stalwart gooseneck is warm enough to permit for inscrutable digging , and its fine points scuttle with discreetness underneath and between plants .
In other parole , it is one hoe that performs the work of many , perfect for a minimalist . We have tried dozens of hoes , and this is still the best all - around hoe , in our experience .
Its head is 6 1/2″ wide . Our half lunation hoe is made by DeWit .
6. Narrow Collinear Hoe
The Johnny ’s Selected Seeds narrow collinear hoe , designed by Eliot Coleman , outstrip other modest hoes that we have used .
With a 33/4″-wide head , it is just the tool to cultivate between greens seeded intimately together .
The narrow collinear hoe fits perfectly between rows of closely spaced greens .
It glides on the surface , collinearly , instead of delve into the ground . This makes it much easier to use than standard hoes .
7. Garden Fork
Our Clarington Forge garden crotch is the most perdurable digging fork we have used . It is perfect for loosening cultivated carrot and Irish potato , dislodging stubborn locoweed , or moving chaff .
We break many brassy excavation forks before splurge on this one , which should last a lifespan .
The crotch is made from one piece of steel that extends far up the handle , past the point where our previous forks always broke .
Vital Tools for Micro-Farming: Harvesting Tools
When we moved , we trimmed an array of harvesting cock down to two .
Knives and pruners for hand harvest are stored on charismatic bars near the entrances to our processing room and greenhouses .
1. Curved Grape Shears
The curving peak on this tool give it an edge , so to speak — it allows you to glean without turn your wrist awkwardly around fruit clustering to reach to the bow . This seems like a pocket-size point , but after reap 500 hammering of tomatoes , your wrist will appreciate that footling curve .
That said , many type of pruners can work to harvest tomatoes , peppers , and the like , andI think the good pair of shears is one that fits comfortably in your hand .
2. A 6″ Stainless Steel Restaurant-Grade Produce Knife
We expend this knife , designed for use in restaurants , to harvest baby greens .
We own several , and we attend them on magnet attach to our green- house and outside the door to our processing elbow room , where they are quick to seize . The straight sharpness on the knife makes it secure to handle .
Also , the instrument sanitizes easily because of its simple embodiment . It is widely available through on-line restaurant retailers .
Recommended Reads
Keeping Seeds organize : Saving & Storing
Ca n’t Find the Perfect Garden Tools ? Make Your Own
The Lean Micro Farm
How to Get Small , Embrace Local , Live Better , and Work Less
$ 34.95
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