Between my landscaping business, market garden, and working on our 18-acre heavily-wooded property, I come into contact with my share of poison ivy and sumac.

The entire poison ivy plant (leaves, stems, berries, and roots) contains an oil called urushiol. This is what causes the contact contact dermatitis for most people when they get it on their skin. Fortunately, you can usually avoid an allergic reaction if you remove the oil from your skin within an hour or so. Fels Naptha laundry bar soap is the most effective way that I have found to remove poison ivy from your skin if you know you’ve been exposed.

They don’t advertise that their soap is effective at removing urushiol from the skin, which is interesting since everyone I have talked to who is familiar with this soap always mentions that they use it precisely for this purpose.

While this soap, as with any other, works best in warm to hot water, I always use it with cold water in the shower. Cold water prevents your pores from opening as much, which is the last thing you want to do if you already have urushiol on the surface of your skin.

The manufacturer does have a warning on the label about using this product on your skin. Would I shower with it every day? No, but I don’t hesitate to use it any time that I suspect that I might have been exposed to poison ivy. You should talk with your dermatologist or physician prior to using it if you are concerned.

I have purchased dozens of bars of this soap over the years, but I can count on one hand how many times I’ve actually used it in the laundry room. With that said, it is a very effective stain remover. I use a cheese grater to shred the bar into tiny pieces that will dissolve quickly in the washing machine. I keep a small container in our laundry room and toss some in the washer when I wash my landscaping clothing. Fels Naptha is one of the best soaps for removing grass stains.

Most people don’t understand how simple it is – or even that it’s possible – to start a new tree or shrub by cutting a small piece of new growth off an existing one. The basal (bottom) end of the new growth is briefly dipped into a rooting hormone solution and then planted in a container where it can develop its own roots before being transplanted into the ground.

A tree’s leaves produce this hormone in nature and send it down through the phloem (which is also known as the inner bark) to the lower part of the trunk where the cambium will send out new roots. The idea behind using a rooting hormone is to promote root growth on a cutting that has no existing root structure.

The casual gardener who just grows some tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers won’t need this product. This is for someone who is interested in propagating their own trees and shrubs for their own use or resale. If you want detailed instructions, I invite you to read the article I wrote on saving hundreds and even thousands of dollars by propagating hardwood cuttings.

This is the brand that I am using for my own trees that I’m raising to plant around our property. I’ve started more than 300 trees and have used less than half the bottle. Even if only one in every two trees takes, by the time I have started all the trees I will need, I will have saved thousands compared to having to buy potted trees or even bare root trees in the mail.

This product comes with detailed instructions that are easy to follow. Pay attention to the mixing ratio, as it’s different for softwoods, hardwoods, and semi-hardwoods. Also, only mix the quantity that you know you will use within 10 hours per the manufacturer’s recommendation, as the concentrate’s efficacy decreases once it has been mixed.

Many seedlings can indeed go straight from a standard 72-cell tray straight into the gardening after a short hardening-off period. Unfortunately some of the most commonly grown vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants fare much better when they have the time and space to develop strong root systems before setting them out into the unpredictable Midwest springs that we have been experiencing lately.

These are the sturdiest transplant pots I could find. They are just the right balance of rigid and flexible. I have hundreds of these and have only broken one when I dropped a tomato transplant and the corner of the pot hit the garage floor just right.

The holes in the bottom are large enough to permit adequate drainage and prevent root rot, but small enough to prevent much soil from falling through the bottom. The pots are tapered and 18 fit perfectly in a standard “1020” tray.

The manufacturer offers these pots in 3.5″ and 5.5″ sizes. The 3.5″ pot is plenty large enough for any vegetable that you would be transplanting into your garden. The larger size could be useful if you wanted to sell larger tomato or pepper starts or flowers later in the spring to those who got a late start.

At the end of the season, I washed my pots out with a hose and stacked them in a box in my unheated, uninsulated pole barn. The plastic didn’t appear to become weaker despite being out in the cold when I unpacked them in February.

You can get away without using these and transplanting your warm season (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, okra, etc.) vegetables directly from the typical smaller cells, but you will get earlier production and have much more robust plants if they have more time to establish themselves in the controlled environment of your house or garage.

This is the book that got me back into gardening after I graduated college and bought my first house. We had always had a garden when I was growing up, but we mostly grew the standard fare: tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. This guide opened my eyes to so many other wonder vegetables, fruits, and herbs that I could grow in Ohio’s USDA Zone 6a.

You will want to bring this book with you to the nursery or have it at hand you order online to help you select your seeds or plants, as it lists common varieties that you are likely to see and gives you basic information about each.

There are sections on selecting a site for your garden, improving the soil, planting, fertilizing, building compost, irrigating, harvesting, and recognizing and treating common plant diseases. Vegetables, fruit (both tree fruit and berries), and herbs receive equal treatment.

At #pages, the book punches above its weight in terms of value but takes up little space on your bookshelf. As with the Miracle-Gro Complete Guide to Trees & Shrubs, the all-color photography and diagrams are superb.

There is no reason that a beginning gardener who has this book and a gardening neighbor or online mentor can’t have a healthy and bountiful first-year garden no matter where they live.

I rely on these labels to keep dozens of standard “1020” greenhouse trays in order starting in mid-February and continuing throughout the growing season with my succession plantings that extend into fall. With 72 cells per tray, my market garden operation would be chaos without the sense of order that these garden labels provide.

These are the ideal size if you plan on using the vented plastic greenhouse domes on your trays because the labels stick up enough over mature seedlings, yet there is still plenty of clearance at the top.

Each label has a rough side and a smooth side. I use a soft “HB” drawing pencil on the rough side **INSERT IMAGE* to write the variety, the date I planted the seed, and the number of rows I used in the tray. A standard #2 pencil also writes well on either side, but I prefer the bolder print, especially if the label will be used outside.

I have used Sharpies in the past to write on the smooth side, but it’s a little more work to get rid of the writing to re-use them. Use the abrasive side of a scrubbing sponge and some water to make a slurry paste with some Barkeeper’s Friend (a versatile cleansing powder that has myriad uses around the house) to remove the permanent marker.

I have used these labels for various growing cycles under almost constant LED lighting with no degradation of the plastic. I have used cheaper labels in the past that were too thin and cracked after just one growing season. You will be able to use these labels for many years.

I’ll come right out and say it — I love trees. One of the key selling points for the property my wife and I purchased was the abundance of mature trees. There are several oaks and sycamores that are at least 100 years old. I have been a supporting member of the Arbor Day Foundation since 2015.

Trees provide beauty and shade, supply building materials and fuel, produce food and shelter for wildlife, prevent soil erosion, absorb carbon, serve as windbreaks, provide shade, and can even help us cool our homes. All other things being equal, a neighborhood or property with mature trees will command higher property values.

This book is written for the homeowner who knows nothing about trees, but there are enough specific details to keep the attention of more experienced tree enthusiasts.

When you consider that a tree is something you plant for the long run, you need to be intentional when you decide what kind to plant. Many suburban lots only feature enough open space to plant a handful of trees, so it’s important to choose wisely.

Whether you are interesting in a specimen tree or a 300′ long windbreak, you need to select the right tree for the job.

Most brick-and-mortar nurseries and big box home centers are pretty good about only stocking trees that will grow well in the USDA climate zone they’re located in. However, it doesn’t mean you should plant a weeping willow 30 feet away from your in-ground pool or an oak tree in between the curb and your sidewalk.

I enjoy thumbing through this book and learning about trees that I like but unfortunately can’t grow where I live so that I can recognize them when I travel or see them in photos. I pointed out different varieties of palms to my son on our most recent trip to Hilton Head Island.

There are other far more technical books on trees available for those who seek more specific details. This guide provides the basic information (features, growth rate, and zones) that an amateur naturalist or home owner will find useful.

The all-color photos and diagrams really stand out. There are sections on selecting a site, improving your soil, pruning, and diagnosing disease.

Is it a knife? A garden trowel? A pair of scissors? A cultivator? This is one of those elusive multi-use tools that actually does each individual task as well as a single-use tool. As a market gardener, my time is money. If I misplaced my current hori hori knife, I would go out and buy a new one the same day because it’s that invaluable to me.

If you’re even a casual gardener, you likely have an assortment of small handheld gardening tools. The hori hori knife is an overlooked tool that can replace many of these and save precious storage space. It’s one of those tools that will make you wish you had discovered it years ago. I actually donated my old garden trowel because this does the same job more effectively.

I use mine primarily for transplanting seedlings from seed trays into my raised beds. I hold the knife in my left hand and insert the blade and twist to make a quick and easy hole for the seedling. With my right hand, I drop the seedling into its hole and lightly tamp the soil with my fingers around the base of the seedling to prevent air pockets that will dry out the young roots. I can transplant a standard 1020 tray of 72 seedlings in a matter of minutes using this method.

As the name indicates, this knife is also ideal for digging. Even with its low profile, the blade is extremely durable and bend resistant to give you leveraging power to dig small holes. I find it particularly effective for getting all the way under the deep tap roots of the most stubborn weeds. Its slim profile allows you to eliminate weeds that grow close to your plants without disturbing their roots.

With a serrated and a smooth edge, this knife will cut everything from salad greens to gnarled grape vines. I use it in place of shears when I harvest mizuna, lettuce, bok choy, and other greens for its speed and the clean cut that it delivers.

The stylish wood handle feels solid in my hands and is comfortable to use everyday. Blade and handle maintenance is minimal. I do wipe off the blade when I’m done and periodically rub some tung oil into the handle to preserve the natural oils of the wood and protect the finish. The high quality Japanese stainless steel isn’t going to rust on you unless you leave it outside in the rain for days on end.

Insufficient light is the number one reason that people fail at starting plants from seeds. They buy fresh seeds, use the correct seed starting medium, provide sufficient water, and before you know it, the seeds have germinated and they think they’re off to the races. After only a few days, their plants start to become leggy as they try to reach toward whatever light source is available. Eventually the fledgling seedlings fall over into the soil as they continue their unbalanced growth and eventually die. Those that don’t die at this stage will die when you transplant them, as they haven’t developed a strong root structure.

As most amateur gardeners don’t have a greenhouse, many rely on a sunny window or kitchen counter to grow out their new seedlings. While these locations are fine for mature houseplants, they simply cannot provide the minimum 14 hours of high quality light that new seedlings need.

Enter the game-changing world of LED lighting, specifically the Barrina 42W LED Grow Light. I purchased 12 of these last January to start plants for my new market garden business. I clipped them to the shelves (two lights per 4′ shelf) of a rolling wire utility rack using S-hooks and a light-duty linked chain from Lowe’s. These lights do come with cables that allow the light to hang closer to the seed trays, but I found it easier to hang my lights a few inches down and raise my trays rather than lower my lights throughout the growing cycle.

You want your lights about three to four inches above the trays to promote faster germination. I see lots of pictures and videos online of people with their grow lights that are not close enough. Raise your lights (or lower your trays like I do) as your plants grow. You will be able to tell if they are too close. By the time my seedlings are ready for hardening off before transplanting, I usually have about 10 inches between my lights and the top of my plants.

I keep my lights on continuously until the seedlings get their first set of true leaves. At that point, I keep them on a 18-hour-on, 6-hour-off cycle until I am ready to harden them off by setting them outside in a location protected from sunlight and wind for a couple of hours per day.

You could easily fit three on a standard wire rack shelf and get faster growth without a doubt, but I consider two per shelf more than adequate provided the distance from the seed tray to the lights is appropriate.

These lights deliver only the wavelengths that the plants can actually use, so your plants are receiving an intense bath of light and still only using 42 watts per hour per unit. Unlike fluorescent tube lights, these should easily last over 15,000 hours.

My favorite thing about these lights other than the ridiculously low price per watt is the ability to daisy chain them together. I zip-tied a 12-outlet electrical outlet strip to one of the rear vertical tubes of my rolling shelving unit and plugged each light directly into this. Even with two lights per shelf with four shelves, I still have four outlets open for my seedling heat mats.

Frustration with seed starting is where many ambitious gardeners who don’t want to just go out and buy plants (not that there is anything wrong with that) throw in the towel. Soil temperatures that are too cold are the number one reason that seeds take too long (or completely fail) to germinate. Very few seeds need light to germinate (lettuce is a notable one that requires light), but all seeds need a minimum soil temperature before they set into action.

I had known about seedling heat mats for awhile before I finally started using them to start certain seeds. I experienced 20-40% germination rates with my hot peppers (which already have a longer than average germination period) before I started using these heated mats. The majority of my seeds rotted in the trays because the soil was moist and cool instead of moist and warm. I had already lost more than two weeks in my planting schedule by the time I realized that I needed to start over.

I had no luck at all getting my Indian and Chinese bitter melon seeds to germinate until I used these mats. I called the seed company, who sent replacement seeds as a courtesy and also suggested that I use a seedling heat mat. All 20 of the new seeds germinated because the soil reached the critical temperature required.

The 10″ x 20.75″ mat is designed for a standard 1020 tray that you see at the nursery or big box store. I place my heating mat directly on the wire shelf of my seed starting rack. Don’t place the mat directly on a concrete floor, as a giant mass of cold concrete acts as a heat sink, causing the majority of the heat to be absorbed by the floor rather than your seedling tray.

At only 18 watts per mat, the electricity these consume is negligible. The manufacturer does offer seedling heat mat kits that come with a temperature regulator, but I’ve never seen the need to adjust the temperature regardless of the vegetable or flower seeds I’m starting. Keep the growing medium moist (but not wet) at all times and you won’t have to worry about the temperature. Your seedlings can use all the warmth the mat will provide, but at the same time you’re not going to fry them either. In fact, until I see the seedlings emerge, I put the humidity domes on my trays to help boost the temperature and keep the soil from drying out.

These seedling heat mats are especially beneficial if you are starting peppers, tomatoes, basil, eggplants, and bitter melons. Considering their low cost to begin with and the fact that you can use them year after year, they are cheap insurance for maximizing your odds of growing out healthy seedlings that will be ready to transplant to the garden at the optimal time.

While these mats do come with a cinch-style storage bag, I don’t recommend rolling them up to store them, especially if you’re going to store them in a cold garage or outbuilding over the coldest months of winter. The thin plastic is much more likely to crack when you unroll it. I store mine flat on the top of my seed starting racks along with the rest of my supplies.