As a complete newbie what basic equipment do I need?

debih · « **on:** August 12, 2008, 21:55 »

I am just about to start on my (long awaited) allotment journey and have absolutely nothing! I can borrow from my dad but he is very possesive about his gardening tools so I know that I will have to get my own.

I have not yet seen my allotment (am going tomorrow to pick the one I want) but I have been told that one half has a home made shed on it (that is the half I will probably pick as it also has a home made greenhouse). As I live a couple of miles away from the allotment I would like to leave things in the shed so dont want to spend an absolute fortune on things as I dont know how secure the shed will be.

Can anyone give me any advice on the sort of things I should be buying to get me started.

Thanks in advance.

Debih

Yorkie · « **Reply #1 on:** August 12, 2008, 22:14 »

Hi Debih

Different people have different opinions, but I'd start out with:

fork & spade (I have border sizes as they're smaller and easier to work with) - don't go for bargain basement price as they'll only break soon
hoe
trowel for planting
possibly also a hand fork for weeding
watering can (!)
secateurs if you're growing stuff which will need cutting or pruning in any way

Sheds really aren't secure, even on locked sites, so do continue to bear this in mind.

SnooziSuzi · « **Reply #2 on:** August 12, 2008, 22:19 »

Hi Debih, welcome to the forums.

I'd say have a look at some car boot sales for gardening stuff, but bear in mind that that's probably where yours will end up after you've been broken into a few times.

Harsh but true :cry:

Some good advice from Yorkie1. If your new plot is particularly weed choked then I'd also invest in a rake so that after you've hoed the weeds off you can rake them up ready for burning. Don't compost them as they're likely to contain all sorts of weed seeds that you don't want in your compost!

agapanthus · « **Reply #3 on:** August 12, 2008, 22:29 »

Don't forget a good rake too!! If security is a problem, one of the guys on my previous site dug out a section from beneath his shed, put his tools inside and boarded it over (making sure he could walk over it without falling through!) and Bob's your uncle!!

SnooziSuzi · « **Reply #4 on:** August 12, 2008, 22:34 »

I tend to lie mine down just inside of the doorway so that when the theiving b*******s do come calling they get a face full of "thwak"

Purile I know but it makes me smile thinking of it!

Yorkie · « **Reply #5 on:** August 12, 2008, 23:01 »

d'you know, I almost typed 'rake' too - but didn't do so for some reason :?

you could also try a request on your local freecycle network for gardening tools - you never know your luck.

noshed · « **Reply #6 on:** August 12, 2008, 23:20 »

Pound shops are good. Any dear tools - chain them inside your shed with a bike lock. Don't forget a chair and a flask for tea, or a stove and kettle. Personally I would get a pair of industrial boots - £15 or so, warm and comfey and protect your toes. Better than wellies.

agapanthus · « **Reply #7 on:** August 12, 2008, 23:34 »

Quote from: "noshed"

Pound shops are good. Any dear tools - chain them inside your shed with a bike lock. Don't forget a chair and a flask for tea, or a stove and kettle. Personally I would get a pair of industrial boots - £15 or so, warm and comfey and protect your toes. Better than wellies.

If you chain the tools together this could annoy a would-be burglar and make him/her destroy the shed altogether??? Not a nice thought...just trying to get into a vandal's head :oops: :oops: :oops: We were always advised on my last allotment site not to lock our sheds 'cos vandals would just knock the place to bits if they wanted to get in

jack russell · « **Reply #8 on:** August 13, 2008, 00:20 »

I think freecycle is the best bet then they are costing nowt and it wont break the bank to replace them

boot sales are also good as mentioned cheap and cheerful. Ask the person who is handing you the keys if there are any left over tools you could use for the mean time. I have lots of spares of most tools and would always be willing to help any one without on our site.

good luck

orfy · « **Reply #9 on:** August 13, 2008, 08:25 »

Asda will soon be selling the £5 tool selection for £2.50.

If you can afford it get the Stainless ones half price they will last a life time if look after.

I'd go for

Spade
Shovel
Fork
Rake
Hoe.
Secateurs
Trowel.
Knife

I have one of these that cost me £11.50 and use it for many jobs.

I also have some cheap DIY tools.

Wood saw, pliers, hammer, mallet, staple gun.

Yorkie · « **Reply #10 on:** August 13, 2008, 17:52 »

I'd advise against the supermarkets' own brand value tools.

One of my friends went through two such forks - one on its first outing, and it wasn't being used for anything particularly challenging.

To some extent, you do get what you pay for.

FCG · « **Reply #11 on:** August 13, 2008, 18:41 »

I'd advise asking relatives if they have any tools they don't use. My grandmother has a huge shed (big as a bungalow really) and had forks, hoes etc etc in there and i inherited the lot. They are 'old' style ones and they last several lifetimes.

Also - don't for the life of you forget to buy a massive amount of canes and netting. You may see a lot of your produce go to the birds without.

PinkTequila · « **Reply #12 on:** August 14, 2008, 19:22 »

Quote from: "orfy"

Asda will soon be selling the £5 tool selection for £2.50.

If you can afford it get the Stainless ones half price they will last a life time if look after.

I'd go for

Spade
Shovel
Fork
Rake
Hoe.
Secateurs
Trowel.
Knife

I have one of these that cost me £11.50 and use it for many jobs.

I also have some cheap DIY tools.

Wood saw, pliers, hammer, mallet, staple gun.

last a lifetime if looked after! You mean not gardened with! I would go onto ebay and buy an old spade and fork with wood handles, they will last a lifetime! on top of that buy a hoe you can sharpen, a rake for preparing the ground, secateurs, a knife and a ball of string, for the first year I would settle for that. and a trowel for planting with, although people often like buting a fork and trowel set for people for Christmas I have acquired a few like this.

andtiggertoo · « **Reply #13 on:** August 17, 2008, 14:43 »

Hi debih, you will also need some gardening gloves, i prefer the ones which are waterproof on the palm side. You can carry on gardening with comfy hands longer if they aren't encased in sodden gloves.

Also a bucket or tub of some sort, to put weeds and prunings in, can then empty it into compost heap when it gets full.

Talking of compost heaps you will need one. Maybe the allotment site has a communal one ( not sure, I don't have allotment I have a veg plot in my garden), if not you will need one on your plot. You can use all sorts of things to construct the sides, to start with you might just chuck everythiin in a heap, but to get best use of space and more productive heap you need something to build the sides up with.

I use plastic covered strong wire panels (1m squared). They can be tied together to form a bin, and open up again to remove composted material. I have quite a few tied together to make a larger heap. I've used the same ones for over ten years. Old fence panels, or doors will do.

Good luck with it all

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