Garden Guy: Essential garden tools for spring in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - While it doesn’t feel much like spring in Minnesota, the warmer weather will come. And when it does, you’ll want to make sure you have all the essential tools for gardening. 

Plants have basic needs – light, oxygen, water and space to grow – and there are tools that will help plants meet those needs and grow successfully in your garden. 

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FOX 9’s Garden Guy Dale K shares your must-have tools for your garden:

• Having a good shovel and cultivator will help loosen the soil and give your plant space to grow. Doing this will also create oxygen around the roots, allowing the roots to grow deep. Plants will be a lot healthier with a good root system.
• A good quality potting soil is key. Usually, the better the soil the better the plants. In the ground, you’re going to cultivate the soil. If you’re planting in a pot, make sure it’s a good-sized pot – pots that taper a bit also provide good drainage.
• Nutrients and fertilizer help nourish plants and keep them healthy. There are various different kinds, from slow-release fertilizers to liquid fertilizers. Root stimulators are also good at reducing transplanting shock for plants.
• A rain gauge will let you know how much rain fell, so you can adjust your watering. This will help you save water and not overwater your plants.
• A good watering nozzle with fine holes allows you to gently water plants instead of having the water guzzle out of the hose.
• A rubber hose that doesn’t kink. There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to water your plants and having a kink in the hose.
• When you start to tinker with plants, having flexible wrap or twine can be used to tie plants up, and netting – especially with vegetables – will help your plants grow upward and protect them from critters.
• A good, clean pruner will help promote good, healthy growth and allow you to bring flowers from your garden into your home, brightening the space.

For Garden Guy Dale K's tips, click here.