Old things have new uses

I had to replant the bean seeds today because the last planting just rotted the seeds. We all make mistakes and setting the seed container outside in 90+ temps was just too hot and too much moisture for starting seeds.

While I was working with the peat pellets I needed a small tool to help better position the seeds. They say that necessity is the mother of invention. I now have a few garden tools that started their useful life with a different purpose.

A brand new clean nail file has become my seed rasp. It works very well to take the edge off of the squash seeds, in order to let more liquid get into the seed. I have found that the seedlings usually show grow within the first few days after planting.

The other great tool is a crab pick. With two small tines and the larger scoop end, it works great to get the bean and pea seeds down deep into the peat pellet. It also helped pick up the tiny lettuce seeds that I started for fall planting.

Another terrific item with additional uses is a torn stocking. Tying a knot in the stocking lets you know that once it is clean it can be cut into strips and used to tie tomato plants to supports. It recycles something that will end up in a landfill.

I am a practical gardener and whatever fits works well with me. The best part of something like the crab pick is that a dishwasher cycle will make it useful for garlic crabs when I come back from Charleston next month.

Don't worry seeds, worry crabs. Worry a lot.