Sustainable Gardening Tools
The creators of the CobraHead precision weeder and cultivator call it “the closest thing to a universal garden tool” because its claw-like stainless steel blade-head can be used to weed, dig, scalp, and cultivate. Aside from being one of the rare tools I’ve stumbled upon still manufactured in the USA, the CobraHead also features an eco-friendly handle made of a composite of post-industrial recycled plastic and post-consumer recycled wood fiber. Plus, the company covers the multifunctional tool with a one-year warranty against manufacturer defects. ($24.95, CobraHead)
 Hemp is a remarkably versatile and sustainable fiber used to make everything from paper to biocomposite plastic. A low-maintenance crop suitable for cultivation in most climates, hemp requires little or no pesticides, is prodigious in growth, breaks down into its own mulch, and produces textiles that are durable and naturally antibacterial. These hemp-canvas work/gardening gloves, perfect for outdoors work, are unbleached, undyed, and made in the U.S.A. ($15, Hemp Sisters)
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 Compressed peat pellets are a popular method of starting seeds indoors. Peat is mined from ancient bog land, however, and horticultural demand is now making those precious wetlands one of our most endangered wildlife habitats. Earth Plugs are an eco-friendlier seed-starting medium made of composted tree bark and “inoculated with colonizing root growth microorganisms for maximum nutrient uptake.” ($7.37 for 25, Seeds of Change)
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 Biological pest control leverages natural predator-prey relationships to suppress pest populations without the use of toxic pesticides or insecticides—vital for any organic garden. Watch aphids rumble with ladybugs, and mealybugs wrestle with hoverflies in some of the oldest knock-down, drag-out wars. You can also cultivate certain companion plants, to attract and sustain beneficial allies, before calling for backup. (From $13, Green Home)
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 If the style maven in you won’t tolerate the hodge-podge look of yogurt cups and sawed-off juice cartons, the TerraNotta squeeze pots by WorldWise may be what you’re looking for. Resembling terracotta planters, but without their fragility or risk of drying out, these “flexible, squeezable, and even bounceable” pots are made from a blend of plastic and 100 percent recycled rubber. Seeds of Change also claims these pots last longer than their ceramic, clay, and plastic counterparts. Available in four sizes, each with a coordinating saucer. Bonus: Made in the U.S.A. (From $2.11, Seeds of Change)
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 Compared to conventional grow lights that eat up between 100 watts and 1,000 watts of juice, these SolarOasis Ruby LED grow lights use less than 2 watts of power, saving you (and the planet) on energy costs. The company estimates that these three LED lights, used 16 hours a day, at 10 cents per kilowatt-hour, will cost about $21 per year to operate. The life expectancy of each bulb is 20,000 to 100,000 hours, which is 10 to 50 times longer than that of a conventional grow light bulb.($159.95, Clean Air Gardening) |
 Control soil conditions and improve productivity per square foot with a raised garden kit made using High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) from recycled milk jugs and plastic scrap. Unlike its wooden brethren, which are more susceptible to the vagaries of the elements and age, this setup is strong, durable, and guaranteed for 50 years. Also resistant to paint, ink, mildew and other contaminants. Comes in three standard sizes, and in different colors. (From $55.95, Abundant Earth)
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Tracy said,
July 8, 2006 at 8:26 am
Looking at that CobraHead is giving me serious tool envy!
The Worsted Witch » Eh? said,
July 8, 2006 at 12:15 pm
[...] Has no one thought of making gardening boots out of recycled rubber? Surely there’s a market. (The more-entrepreneurial among you should really consider running with this idea.) These booties have been the eco-friendliest I’ve found so far—made in the USA, remarkably for Target—but we have plenty of scope for improvement. And while I’m decrying the dearth of green gardening tools, whither the tree-hugging gardening implements with handles made from sustainably harvested bamboo? An entire business could fit quite cozily in this niche. C’mon, people, hop to it! [...]
Liz said,
July 8, 2006 at 2:46 pm
I’m pretty sure Snow & Nealley tools are still made in the US (Maine, no less). This gardener loves them. And her axe-weilding husband loves their axes & mauls.
el spencer said,
July 10, 2006 at 1:34 pm
Nice idea with the recycled materials. I work for a company that is trying to sell recycled plastic pellets extracted from landfills. Maybe we can approach some manufacturers of these kids of tools.
The Worsted Witch » Sustainable Gardening Tools Update said,
July 24, 2006 at 10:14 am
[...] I’ve added a couple of new finds to my post on sustainable gardening tools. And to make this rundown easier to find—I’m likely to update it as I stumble upon other suitable candidates—I’ve linked it to Sustainability 101 on the sidebar to your right. (It makes sense to be listed there, no? Well I think so and I’m not taking any lip from anyone.) [...]
The Worsted Witch » Organic Window Boxes said,
August 1, 2006 at 12:31 pm
[...] These kits from our neighbors to the north, however, appear far more appealing. Each kit includes a package of organically cultivated seeds, organic soilless growing mix, expanded clay pellets, and growing instructions. (No peat!) [...]
The Worsted Witch » Updates & Miscellany said,
August 14, 2006 at 6:21 pm
[...] Gardening I have a wee catnip seedling and an even-more wee lemon balm seedling growing on my windowsill. A broadleaf thyme cutting I planted taught me a hard lesson about misting young leaves in the mid-afternoon and encouraging leaf burn. Poo. Oh well, ever onward, upward. Oh, I also have three lavender seeds in an Earthplug I’m quite excited about. [...]
Heavy Petal said,
September 11, 2006 at 4:25 pm
I *heart* the Cobrahead. And I’m going to have to try those hemp gloves. Fun.
The Worsted Witch » Sustainable Gardening Tools Update said,
September 29, 2006 at 11:42 am
[...] Another update to my rundown of sustainable gardening tools, this time with SolarOasis’s energy-efficient LED-based grow lights. (As always, for your convenience, you’ll find the post under Sustainability 101 on the right-hand bar.) [...]
The Worsted Witch » Sustainable Gardening Tools Update said,
February 13, 2007 at 6:11 pm
[...] Another update to my rundown of sustainable gardening tools, this time with some recycled-plastic-lumber action. (As always, for your convenience, you’ll find the post under Sustainability 101 on the right-hand bar.) [...]