Claire’s essential toolkit

Claire's Essential Toolkit

Before setting out on your food-growing journey, it's really helpful to create a basic toolkit. In this lesson, I'll introduce you to some of my favourite tools and explain what I use them for.

You'll be using these tools regularly, so it's a good idea to do your research and invest in a strong, sturdy and environmentally sound kit.

In my toolkit, I have:

Seed sowing modules

I use modules in nearly all of my seed sowing as they are efficient space savers, and especially useful if you don't have a huge amount of space to grow young seedlings.

If you're buying seed-sowing modules that are made of plastic, make sure to buy ones that are solidly made and not flimsy, that way you can ensure that they will be used year after year.

Trowel

A trowel is an essential piece of kit for any gardener. It's great for weeding, digging holes for planting and breaking up any clods of earth.

Harvest knife

While a knife is not an essential tool for a new grower, they are a great way to harvest crops swiftly, and prune and tidy up plants.

Labels

Seedlings can look very similar in the early stages of growth, so labelling your seed trays is essential if you want to keep track of what you've planted and where. If you want to cut down on the amount of plastic you are using in your garden, then use repurposed ice lolly sticks or items from your recycling bin.

Secateurs

Secateurs are another essential tool for all types of gardeners. They are great for pruning or cutting back plants. Make sure to keep them sharp and clean to avoid damaging your plants and also to prolong the life of your secateurs.

Dibber

While a dibber isn't essential (you could use a trowel instead) they are great for making a small hole in a no dig bed without disrupting the soil life beneath the surface. If you don't want to buy a dibber, a sturdy stick will work just as well.

Watering cans

I have a selection of watering cans of varying sizes, but I use a small one with a fine rose for watering my seedlings. This ensures that the water disperses gently so it won't disturb the seeds.

Pots

I have a large collection of pots in my garden. My plastic pots have been collected from garden centres where they would have otherwise gone to waste, and they're really good for potting on seedlings before they go out into the garden.

I tend to use terracotta pots for growing herbs, as terracotta dries out quickly, so it works well for growing Mediterranean herbs that don't require as much moisture.

Compost

I use both seed compost and potting compost in my greenhouse. Seed compost has a finer structure so that it is easier for tiny seedlings to push through when they germinate while potting compost has a higher nutrient level to help your seedlings as they begin to grow.

I only use peat-free compost in my garden as peat is not a sustainable medium, nor is it necessary either, so make sure to look out for peat-free compost in your local garden centre.

Supply of plant feed

I use an organic seaweed feed for my container-grown plants. This is necessary because container-grown plants will use up the nutrients in their container soil within a few months, so they will need supplementary feeding to continue to thrive.

Seeds

The most important thing in my toolkit is seeds. My seed box is full of seeds that I have bought, swapped and saved and growing plants from seed is one of the most magical parts of any food grower's journey.

Some of my favourite seed companies include:

United Kingdom

• Tamar Organics
• Real Seeds
• Vital Seeds

United States

• Uprising Seeds
• High Mowing Organic Seeds

Australia

• Organic Seeds Australia
• Green Patch Seed