Gardening Checklist, Supplies and Tools A sample checklist that you can use to refer to as you start your planning and mapping-out strategy for your vegetable garden in your own backyard! January Start planning and layout your garden, order/buy seeds, get schedules, plans and lists. Early February Inside planting can start from seeds - try some cabbage and cauliflower, even onions. Late February Add lettuce, Brussels sprouts and beets. Early March Celery and Tomatoes can be started from seeds. Late March More tomatoes, Eggplant, pepper, lima beans, cucumber, squash; sprout potatoes. Late April/Early May (weather permitting) Sowing seeds inside cauliflower (on sods), muskmelon, watermelon, corn. Seedbeds can be started too for celery, cabbage, lettuce. Late May Onions, carrots, smooth peas, spinach, beets, chard, parsnip, turnip, and radish. Lettuce, cabbage (plants). Beans, corn, spinach, radish. kale, winter squash and pumpkin. Early June Beans, carrots, corn, cucumber, peas, summer spinach, summer lettuce, radish, egg-plant, pepper, tomato. Late June Beans, corn, peas, turnip, summer lettuce, radish, late cabbage, and tomato plants. Early July Beans, endive, kale, lettuce, radish, winter cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and celery plants. Late July Beans, early corn, early peas, lettuce, radish. Early August Peas, lettuce, radish. Late August Early peas, lettuce, radish in seedbed, forcing lettuce for fall in frames. Early September Lettuce, radish, spinach and onions for wintering over. These are just suggestions for sample planting tables, schedules and recommendations. Weather permitting, conditions and locations will all be featured in as well, as will planning, preparing and caring for your garden. This is the beauty of having these tools at your disposal and actually using them. You are customizing your own solution to YOUR OWN BACKYARD VEGETABLE PATCH. You are hands-on and doing it, learning and discovering as you go along. You will reap the reward of the fruits/veggies of your labor and toil! Tools of the Trade Gardening and backyard vegetable patches are not to be left merely up to commercial and professionals! It is feasible and attainable for anyone and everyone! You can even get the family and kids involved. Moving from concept to reality will require some stamina and hard work, but it will be worth its weight in produce when the crops start rolling in. You do not have to be on your knees, stooped the whole time, to participate in this rewarding activity. There are a variety of quality tools and aides available to you to assist you in these tasks. They do not have to be backbreaking or tough on your joints and knees. Various modern tools of the trade enable and facilitate our gardening today, regardless of the size, shape or scope of your veggie garden. Garden tools are also pretty affordable and of robust manufacturing that will probably end up lasting you a lifetime, getting you good value for your investment over time. It saves time, ,effort and labor down the line too, if you pick the best and most appropriate tools for the different tasks. Making your job/tasks at hand easier is what this is all about. You are focused on results, NOT THE MECHANICS OF the process alone or at all for that matter. Building up you arsenal of garden tools over time is the best way to do it too, adding annually to grow your collection so to speak, will not leave a too big hole in your pocket. Some tools have surprisingly also remained similar and true to their roots, origin and original intended purpose, withstanding time and change. The simplest tools can make the world of difference. Try to familiarize yourself with as much of the functionality of these tools that you can. Whether the tools are for preparing the soil, feeding and cultivating the ground, planting the seed, or protecting crops from insects and disease, even picking and harvesting your crop, there are numerous utilities at your disposal, like the plans, schedules, checklists and records mentioned before, that can make your veggie gardening life a lot easier! Here is an eclectic sampling of some of the tools a backyard gardener should not be without or at least consider for starters: Garden Spades  typically used for digging, turning soil, breaking ground  Also cultivating garden plots, borders, rows and beds.  Function: break and move  Selection: A wide variety of spades are available, different shapes and sizes  What to look for: Good handle and stores easily Spading-Fork  often used and preferred for it is slightly lighter  Easily breaks up solid pieces of ground  Also good for leveling or smoothing ordinary Gardening Fork  handling manure and gathering up trash, weeds,  very common and popular tool to use  Five or six-forked, slightly up-turned edges  D-shaped handles are often more convenient and comfortable for garden use. Preparation tools like the hoe, or hook, and the iron rake (even a hand-plow)  wide, deep-bladed types are considered better  Most prefer the hook or prong-hoe for better functionality  Penetrate the soil and even sub-surfaces effectively  Try and find tools that are adjustable, and for different soils (even sod or other rough ground)  Can also be used to add some unique finishing touches, leveling off and fining the surface of the soil  An iron rake can have similar effects. Try and find and buy tools that are robust, less likely to get broken, and easier to use.  Mastering basic gardening skills like backward-and-forward movement of a rake will become almost like second nature to you in no time flat! A seed-drill Enabling accurate and hassle-free planting marking seed rows, furrowing and dropping the seeds in all in one easy step ensuring the proper depth and distance with ease Covering and firming the surrounding soil Garden Hoe Preferably, find one that is somewhat lighter and smaller, quicker and easier to handle. It saves time getting things done effectively and rounding things off professionally Weeders Look for tools that lessen the work and is easy on the knees and back (no stooping required) Depends on the soil and methods you choose work. Angled blades are best getting in small places Weeding regularly with the right tool is essential, catch them even before they start; do so in softer/wet soil when they are easier to pull up root and all! Tools are helpful utilities if selected and used properly, also stored, cleaned and cared for appropriate. Kept maintained, bright and sharp, in good condition all round, will ensure hours of gardening pleasure and fun, as well as fruitful reward when the crops start rolling in.

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