A spate of people think you have to be in not bad wellness with fantabulous mobility to develop a garden . There ’s so much lifting of things like bags of compost . You have to push around a garden cart . Then there are all those watering cans to cart around to plants .
Do n’t forget the knee bend to mourning band and seed . Of course , you have to dig out big holes too !
Frankly , youdohave to be in a state of peak physical fitness to garden like that . But fortunately , you do n’t have to garden like that at all . There are plenty of ways to garden sassy rather than trust on brawn and flex .
Let me prompt you to garden at any age and even with ailments that make traditional gardening more difficult with these smart tricks and shortcuts .
meliorate Your Mobility
I have a friend who has been garden her intact grownup living . When some age - related wellness conditions made it impossible to attain her in - dry land garden beds , she still refused to stop gardening .
rather , she broaden the space between her beds so she could jibe her golf cart through . She recede some garden space , but she was able to keep on horticulture .
1. Use Wheels
While not everyone can get or has a golf game cart to whizz around the garden with , there are a few other options that will also give you increased mobility .
These daysriding lawnmowersall have options for attachments such as rive a go-cart . A popular workhorse is the 4 - Sir Mortimer Wheeler or ATV , and then for extreme versatility , consider a farm utility vehicle .
Read our word on7 Helpful Farm Utility Vehicles .
3. Optimize Space & Heavy Lifting
As with my friend I mentioned before , she had to commute her gardening blank to accommodate her golf go-cart , and for whichever selection you choose for your own mobility , you will also have to conform yourgarden layoutto make more room for you to maneuver .
Even if you are restricted to a wheelchair , you will need extra space in your garden to countenance you to easily cycle around and not get stuck in a dead - remainder . With some creativeness , a wheelchair can be adapted with attachment for bag and a ‘ desk ’ over the overlap , it all depends on your creativity and your ability to handle a somewhat heavier wheelchair .
My friend ’s solution for all the grave lifting that goes with garden materials is also brilliantly simple . She has the people at the shop debase her car by placing freehanded bagful of garden amendments on the hindquarters close to the doors . Then , when she buzz off home , she utilise a hand shovel to transfer the amendment into belittled bags that she can well lift .
Improved Tools
3. Re-think Your Tools
Further using her creativity , my champion orchestrate putz to use to semen , harvest , and weed right from the seat of her pushcart .
For example , she create her own long - reach flora seeder . She did this by attaching a spoon to the end of a tough PVC pipage . She uses the spoon to make divots in the stain .
Then she drop the seminal fluid down the pipe underground . at long last , she practice the spoon goal to cover the seeds with stain . Using this method acting , she seeds her whole garden while comfortably seat in her golf game cart .
4. Make Use of a Garden Seat Kneeler
Can you still extend to down to tie your shoes without irritation ? If so , then you may be able to keep on garden in the ground with the use of agarden ass kneeler .
These are lightweight devices that do double responsibility as a kneeler and a terrace . If you utilize the terrace side , you’re able to sit on them as you do your weeding and harvesting using similar muscles as you use to tie your shoes .
You will need to keep your garden rows narrow to make reaching easy . Alternatively , you may get at wider rows from both side . This bench pecker makes it potential to garden while taking a load off ! That sounds like a smart gardening for senior strategy to me .
On the flip side , the seat portion becomes a kneeling control panel . The terrace legs become handles you may utilise to labor yourself up . So , if you are still able to kneel , but just require a little helper up , the kneeler is a perfect self - help solution .
5. Rolling Garden Benches
If you want to go for a opulent garden bench , you’re able to also incur rolled garden benches . These are essentially like garden carts with grip . They usually have room to hold your prick and a few plants or some small bagful of potting soil .
But they also have heavy - duty garden wheels and sluttish steering . That make them useful for navigate the hard turning point of your garden bed and landscape painting .
They are n’t quite as voluptuous as gardening from a golf handcart , as my friend does , but they do n’t take up quite as much way or cost nearly as much as a golf pushcart either !
6. Long-handled vs Short-handled Tools
Garden pecker often arrive in two soma , deal - held or long - handle . For example , you may get a hand - bear hoe or a long - deal hoe . The hand - hold hoe require you to get on the ground or use the kneeler judiciary to get down and up . Whereas , the long - handled tools can be operated from a stand position .
Unless you have easy executable dirt , it can require a lot of strength to use long - manage tools . Trying to hoe sens in press grease using a long - handled hoe is like trying to scrape pavement off the road . But when you put them to use in raised beds that are filled with pot soil or satisfying - foot mix , they are a fabulous answer to gardening for seniors while standing .
Contained Gardening Methods
That brings me to my next recommendation . If you have difficulty get up and down , then raise beds or containers might be a better answer .
7. Garden in Raised Beds
Raised beds come in all form and sizes . Here are some affair to remember about before you install them .
Beds that are 6 - 8 column inch deep and sit down on top of the grease can be get at using long - address tool , benches , or kneelers . As long as you fill them with lightweight soil mixes that include thing like peat moss or vermiculite , play the beds can be done well from a standing or session status .
Personally , though , if you are go to go to the trouble of edifice beds ( or hiring someone to do it ) , opting for a bed style that include a genu wall that can be used as a workbench is an even better stake . Then , you’re able to skip dragging a workbench out to the garden and instead just sit on the sharpness of your beds to garden .
Some people even choose for grandiloquent beds that you’re able to stand upright to work in them . Akeyhole bedis a good example of this . I love these variety of beds for the rest of garden for senior .
Just keep in mind that when you need to do thing like total compost , you ’ll have to be capable to go up things up from the priming coat to your waist storey . Bending and lifting at the same time is a common cause of harm as we maturate especially if you do n’t lift by bending your knees .
So , you ’ll require to find ways to avoid lifting heavy things into your bed . you’re able to do what my golf - cart gardening friend does and drop from the seat of your car by open computer software and moving small increase at a time .
The first clock time I ensure asalad tableI immediately thought ‘ this is just what my mom needs . ’ It optimizes your place , can be set up on a balcony and brings your salad veggie up to a comfortable elevation . No matter how throttle you are in your movements , a salad board can make horticulture for seniors and anyone else much easy .
8. Try Large Container Gardening
Along with promote bed horticulture , you may also take container horticulture for seniors . container full of soil are enceinte . As such , you ’ll want to put prominent containers in a permanent localisation and regale them like a levy bed .
You may also want to opt for lightweight containers such as those made out of plastic or farm bags . With large enough containers , you could spring up a lot of food even in a small space . Dwarf fruit trees and shrubs may also be good options .
If you do require to move your plant , such asindoors for the wintertime , think asking a family member or neighbor for help . Or utilize a manus - hand truck rather than lifting .
In our post discussing thebest wheelbarrow , option identification number 5 is a versatile workhorse , with an innovative plant mover dolly which is a brilliant agency to move clayey pots around . Still , you would want a strong hand to manipulate the wheelbarrow , so asking a neighbor or admirer would still be a good idea .
By gardening in tires , you not only reduce , reuse , and recycle , but you also make gardening for seniors well-to-do and more accessible . tire can be stack on top of each other creating deep bed . you’re able to place them all-embracing apart to voyage through if you are using a nomadic machine , even something like a golf game cart , or even pile them up to be just the right tiptop for someone in a wheelchair .
We share 13 great ideastire garden ideashere , as well as a guide on how to make atire garden .
9. Use a Multitude of Small Containers
Or , rather than produce industrial plant in large containers opt for plants that do well in small container . you could even grow a full edible container garden using annual vegetables with shallow roots , dwarf - sized or compact perennial plants , or grow full - sized vegetable butharvest in babe form .
I late picked up a blueberry plant that can produce abundant fruit in a two - congius soil pot . I also come across Tom Thumb unripe pea that get less than a foot improbable and still make abundant full - sized pea pod even on a sunny windowsill . There are also continuous harvesting cherry tomatoes that bring out in less than 1 gallon - sized flowerpot .
show our post onwindow boxwood gardeningfor seniors with idea on what plants to use , or these brilliant ideas for ahanging vegetable garden .
You may need to grow caboodle of small container to get good production . But you could put them on an outdoor tabletop to make tending and harvest home easy . Plus , since they are pocket-size in size of it , you’re able to lift and move them with less trouble when needed .
Easy Moisture Management
I have to recount you , H2O is heavy . Most plants need the equivalent of an column inch of rainfall per week . An column inch of rain count about 5.2 punt per square foot of soil .
So , if you have a 4 x 4 square animal foot garden bed , and it does n’t rain down for a week , you ’ll need to bear about 22 Ezra Loomis Pound of urine to your bed . In hot ironical weather , plant life need even more moisture , which means that weight go up to 30 pounds or more .
10. Install an Irrigation System
you may deflect lifting water by usinginstalled irrigationrather than a watering can . Drip tape and tubes are comparatively lightweight . If you corrupt kits that reserve you to install your own emitter , you’re able to even use them for container gardens plainly by commit the emitters where your plant are .
Irrigation takes planning and access to a pressurized body of water source such as a house hosiery bibb . But once installed , you do n’t have to stuff water supply around anymore .
11. Use Mulch to Preserve Water
Mulch helps preserve water in the land so you do n’t have to water as frequently . If irrigation is n’t potential , then consider adding mulch around your plant to lighten your water lading .
Mulch can be heavy to drag , especially when wet . Ask retail merchant for dry bags . Or consider lightweight options such as covering the soil with newspapers before tearing . Once lactating , those papers wo n’t move and can preserve moisture for weeks before they are decomposed .
12. Invest in Lightweight Hoses
I can tell you that just about every gardener hates lugging around heavy garden hose . As such , manufacturers now make sullen - obligation , lightweight hose that can count 30 - 40 % less than traditional hoses .
If you do need to move hoses around your garden , pass a lilliputian redundant to buylight - weight unit hosescan keep your back and your foiling floor ! Also , ensure your hoses are empty when you move them . If you have a spray nozzle on your hosepipe , you ’ll need to discharge it in full after turn off your urine .
13. Self-Watering Systems
If you are give way to grow in containers , then you may also want to considerself - tearing planter . These have urine reservoirs that deliver H2O when needed .
Now , you may still have to lug water to your machine . However , bottom watering scheme often use less water than top lacrimation . Also , you may fill them in smaller increments rather than adding Imperial gallon at a time .
Read our station with ideas forautomatic tearing systemsyou can set up yourself .
substitute Gardening Methods for senior
So far we ’ve been talking mostly about adapt traditional horticulture methods such as in - ground , raised bed , or container horticulture . These days though , there are stack more alternative for gardening for seniors .
14. Stay Sharp with Hydroponics
you’re able to buy lightweighthydroponic plant kitsthat sit on your countertop . you’re able to also set up systems using PVC or other textile to garden vertically so bending is n’t as necessary . IF you install lights , you may even produce them indoors .
As we age , the old proverb “ use it or turn a loss it ” rings all too true . With hydroponic horticulture for elder , you have to make up aid to things like pH and nutrient and make some calculations to have good results long terminal figure . You also postulate to learn to habituate pumps and timer and such .
Mastering these new acquisition and care your hydroponic systems can aid you keep learning and focusing so that your mental attainment stay sharp .
15. Go Vertical
Vertical gardeningis now easy than ever . There are lots of different designs of paries climb flora pouches and self - watering planters you may buy or DIY .
you’re able to add ego - circulate lachrymation systems that expend pumps to pull water from a soil - level artificial lake to a drip mold irrigation system that starts at the top .
These can be usedindoorsor out . They can be engraft with things you could use in minor containers let in vegetables . Or you could stock them with succulents and fern for looker and the pleasure of gardening .
The sky ( or your ceiling ) is the limit when it comes to ways to garden vertically !
Although this next subject – living walls – is not quite applicable to people with decreased mobility , it is still stunningly beautiful to see what can be done when recollect outside of the box , and I lief apportion theHow to Make a live Wallpost with you .
A pillar garden makes optimum function of garden space . If you had to reduce your gardening space to improve your mobility , then a pillar garden can give you so much value back .
It also places your veggies and fruit within easy reach and looks beautiful in my opinion . We share a few clevertower garden thought , and how to create them .
Gardening Longevity
Hopefully , I ’ve convince you that there are all sorts of ways to make horticulture for seniors approachable no matter the age and power level . But just in case you need a little more encouragement , suppose about this :
Gardeningcan make you live longer ( maybe even to 100 years of age ) and may reduce your risk of dementia by 36 % .
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