More Garden Gizmos

colinS

This is my leaf gathering time, and I thought you might like to see some implements that help me with the mouldering. The chopper is a bill hook type, and this is the most suitable, because it lifts the leaves a bit after each chop, and the fungi do need some air to get working.

The thing hanging up is my Sustead Flogger, it's made from a bicycle chain halved, and then bolted to a piece of 2x2. I start with a good thrashing, a la Basil Fawlty, and then proceed with some chopping. But I always end with the chopping, because thrashing compacts the leaves. I don't start this until the end of February, I think is is best to let the leaves lie a while before you get stuck into breaking them up. Just a little every day will give you leaf flakes that I use for growing things in tubs.





Below is the Sustead Onion Stringer, it's made from pegs from the 99p store, the ones with the spring running at right angles to the peg jaws. Just cut a length of string, making sure it will threadle through the peg spring. Then tie a loop for hanging. Get your first peg and threadle the string through the spring and let it fall to the loop. About a palms width, say four inches, tie a knot and make sure the peg can't fall past it. Then just carry on doing the same thing until you have filled the string. One good final knot and you had a renewable onion stringer for a few pence. I started using this stringer the summer before this, and I was worried that the onion stalks might whither
and slip out, but that hasn't happed to any extent, most have fallen through me knocking them down while moving about in the garage. I strung quite a few onions that year, not so this year, I'm sorry to say.

blossomhill_2

Thank you for these gizmo insights Colin, I haven't had time to digest them but will enjoy them when I do and don't want you to think you are posting into the ether