Best Fertilizer for Vegetable Gardens (2026): Organic, Slow-Release and Liquid Picks
The best fertilizer for most vegetable gardens is Dr. Earth Home Grown, an organic 4-6-3 granular for tomatoes, vegetables and...
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Practical digging, planting, and tool advice from the Spear Head Spade family. Real techniques, honest comparisons, no fluff.
22 guides on soil and weeds
Best Potting Soil (2026): Picks for Pots, Houseplants and Cacti
The best potting soil for most outdoor pots and planters is Miracle-Gro Potting Mix, a peat-based container mix with plant...
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Best Weed Killer (2026): 7 Picks for Patios, Lawns, Beds and Brush
The best weed killer for most patios, paths, driveway cracks and gravel is Ortho GroundClear Weed & Grass Killer, a...
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The 6 Best Compost Tumblers, Sized by Yard (2026)
The best compost tumbler for most yards is the FCMP Outdoor dual-chamber tumbler with wheels: 37 gallons split across two...
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The 6 Best Deer Repellents (2026)
The repellents that work are the ones deer smell before they taste, and the ones you rotate before deer get...
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The 6 Best Mole and Vole Repellents and Traps (2026)
Moles eat grubs and worms and never touch a bulb. Voles eat the bulbs, so diagnose the damage before you...
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The Best Weed Barrier and Landscape Fabric (2026): 6 Picks by Job
Woven fabric earns its keep under gravel, paths, and patios. Under bark mulch in a planting bed it is a...
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The Best Garden Tiller (2026): 6 Tillers and Cultivators by Job
A tiller earns its keep breaking new ground or mixing a big load of amendment once. Here are the six...
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The 5 Best Soil Test Kits for Lawn and Garden (2026)
Mail-in lab kits, capsule kits, and pH meters measure very different things. Here are the five worth buying, what each...
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How to Mulch Leaves: Leaf Mulch for Beds, Lawns, and Compost
Shredded leaves are the best free mulch a yard produces. How to chop them with a mower, how deep to...
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Cover Crops for Home Gardens: What to Plant in Fall and How
Winter rye, crimson clover, oats, peas and radish compared for home beds, with sowing dates by region, a six step...
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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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Hula Hoe Guide: How to Use a Stirrup or Scuffle Hoe, and the Best to Buy
Stirrup, hula, and scuffle hoe are one tool. Learn how it cuts on the push and the pull, when it...
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The 5 Best Garden Hoes for Weeding (2026)
Five garden hoes for weeding, ranked by the bed they suit: a draw hoe for mixed beds, a stirrup hoe...
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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 Build a Raised Garden Bed: Size, Materials and Fill
How to build a raised garden bed: the width and height that work, how cedar, steel and treated lumber compare,...
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The Best Garden Sprayer (2026): 6 Pump, Backpack, and Battery Picks
The best garden sprayer for most yards is a 2 gallon pump sprayer: light enough to carry full, and big...
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The 6 Best Compost Bins of 2026: Outdoor and Kitchen
The best compost bin depends on where it has to live. Outdoors, a dual chamber tumbler like the Miracle-Gro is...
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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 7 Best Weeding Tools (2026): Hoes, Weeders, Pullers
The best weeding tool is the one that cuts weeds at the root while you stand upright: for most gardeners...
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Garden Hoe Types and Uses: What a Hoe Is Used For and How to Choose One
A garden hoe is a long-handled tool with a shaped metal blade used to cut weeds, loosen topsoil, and carve...
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Spear Head Spade vs CobraHead: Which Tool Do You Need?
The Spear Head Spade and the CobraHead solve different problems, so most gardeners end up owning both. The Spear Head...
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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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