Make and adapt your own Tools to help with special physical needs.
Having adapted easy to use gardeners tools, really can make many difficult or uncomfortable gardening jobs easier. If special physical needs limit gardening or you know a elderly or physically disabled person and are handy at adapting existing gardeners tools, you can save money and help yourself or a neighbour.
Back friendly Tool for sowing seeds.
Back pain can be a deterrent to sowing seeds, if a painful back or knee condition make the job difficult this simple home made tool reduces bending.
To make a seed sowing tool, cut a four foot length of 2 ½? PVC pipe making a 45 degree angle at one end. Use the sharp end of the tool to make furrows or holes in the soil. put the seed or seeds in the top and let them fall down through the pipe into the soil, now use the pipe to cover the seeds over with soil. This simple adapted tool will help to seed without bending.
Simple home made aid for sowing seeds if you have a weak grip or arthritic fingers.
If you have a weak grip or arthritic fingers a roll of toilet paper can be a useful planting tool for gardeners, pour the seeds on to a piece of dry light coloured cloth, then dampen a piece of toilet paper and use it to pickup the seeds, the seeds will stick to the toilet paper, push the paper into the hole and cover with soil.
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If you are sowing small seeds spread over a wide area use a empty pepper pot or any container with a lid that has holes just large enough to let the seeds through.
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Home made Raised beds and Container gardens can eliminate most of the need for bending for gardeners with a back problem and very useful for wheelchair gardeners. raised beds
Modify your own gardeners tools
Tools with wider, padded handles are easier to grip if your hand grip in not as strong as it used to be. Adapting your own tools by padding out the handles of ordinary gardeners tools like hoes, rakes, spades or shovels with foam is a lot cheaper than purchasing new ones and can make the tools as comfortable to use as the adapted tools you see advertised.
Cut rectangles long enough to fit your hands and wide enough to wrap around the handle. Slice about three-quarters the way through the width of the foam rectangle, stopping an inch short of the top. Fit the handle of the hoe, rake, spade or shovel into the notch and secure the foam with strong water proof tape and bobs your uncle gardening is easier and more comfortable.
Adapting your existing gardeners tools is not expensive and just as comfortable and easy to use as some specially designed tools for disabled and elderly gardeners.
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