How to Store Dahlia Tubers Over Winter, Step by Step
Dig dahlias after frost blackens the foliage, divide or quarter the clumps, dry them a day or two off concrete,...
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Practical digging, planting, and tool advice from the Spear Head Spade family. Real techniques, honest comparisons, no fluff.
30 guides on digging and planting
The 6 Best Bulb Planters and Bulb Augers (2026)
The best bulb planter for most people is the ProPlugger 5-IN-1, a long-handled tube you step into the ground from...
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The 7 Best Mini Greenhouses and Cold Frames (2026)
The best mini greenhouse for most people is the Ohuhu Mini Greenhouse 4-Tier: four shelves the maker rates at 22...
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The 6 Best Greenhouses for Backyards (2026)
The best greenhouse overall is the Palram Canopia Hybrid 6 ft by 4 ft, Bob Vila's best overall pick and...
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Bulbs to Plant in Fall for Spring Flowers (and When to Plant Each)
Nine fall bulbs with planting depth, spacing, bloom time and animal resistance in one table, the planting window for your...
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How to Plant Peonies: When, How Deep, and Why They Will Not Bloom
Peonies can live fifty years, and the depth of the crown decides whether they flower. Here is the fall planting...
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The 6 Best Garden Tillers and Cultivators (2026)
A tiller earns its keep breaking new ground or mixing a big load of amendment once. Here are the six...
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How to Level a Yard by Hand: Low Spots, Bumps, Bare Dirt, and Slopes
Level a lawn by topdressing with sand and compost, no more than half an inch per pass, worked in with...
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How to Remove a Tree Stump by Hand (4 Methods)
Dig and cut is the right call for any stump under about eight inches, and it is one afternoon of...
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How to Remove Sod and Grass by Hand (and by Machine)
The four ways to take grass out of a new bed, with the timeline and the failure mode for each....
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How to Plant Daffodil Bulbs: When, How Deep, How Far Apart
Daffodils are the most forgiving bulb you can plant, and the one deer and rodents leave alone. When to plant...
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Grub Hoe: What It Is For and the 3 Best Ones
A grub hoe is the heavy chopping hoe that breaks sod, hardpan, and roots. Here is what it is for,...
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How to Improve Clay Soil: What Works, What Does Not, and Why
Organic matter improves clay, sand and gypsum do not. Rates per 100 square feet from extension sources, a jar test...
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How to Plant Garlic: Timing, Depth, Spacing and Harvest
Garlic is planted in one October afternoon and harvested nine months later, so the decisions you make at planting are...
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How to Plant Tulip Bulbs: Timing, Depth and Spacing
Tulips are close to foolproof once timing and depth are right. Zone by zone planting windows, depth and spacing tables,...
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How to Build a Raised Garden Bed: Size, Materials and Fill
Build a raised bed no wider than four feet so you can reach the middle from both sides, at least...
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How to Plant a Tree: Depth, Width and Aftercare
To plant a tree, scrape soil off the root ball until you find the root flare, then dig a hole...
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Garden Edging: How to Cut and Keep a Clean Bed Edge
A clean edge is the fastest way to make a garden look cared for. Beds can be half weeded and...
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The 4 Best Garden Trowels That Will Not Bend (2026)
The best garden trowel is a one-piece stainless steel model, because the way trowels die is always the same: the...
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The 7 Best Hori Hori Knives for Digging, Weeding, and Planting (2026)
Seven hori hori knives ranked by job, from the original Nisaku NJP650 to a budget starter and a walnut-handled keeper....
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The 12 Best Garden Tools: An Essential List for 2026
The essential garden tools are a sharp digging spade, bypass pruners, a hand trowel or hori hori knife, real gloves,...
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The 5 Best Shovels for Digging Holes in Clay, Rock, and Roots
The best shovel for digging is one that cuts into the ground instead of bouncing off it: a sharpened spear...
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Root Slayer Alternatives: 5 Best Root-Cutting Tools
The best Root Slayer alternatives are the Spear Head Spade, a tempered carbon-manganese steel spade that slices roots in one...
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Spade vs Shovel: The Difference and Which One You Need
A spade cuts and a shovel scoops, and the blade tells you which is which. A labeled anatomy diagram, the...
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Every guide comes back to the same starting point: a sharp spearhead blade and a comfortable handle.
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