The dibble, also known as a dibber, or a dibbler, was first carved from wood. The first dibble was probably nothing more than a pointed stick. To make it easier to use, the digging end was made pointier, and the handle end was rounded. 

During the Renaissance, dibbles were made from iron. Today, they are made from lightweight metals and plastics. I’m not a fan of plastics, but some of the hand-carved wooden dibbles are nothing less than works of art. You can also find high end stainless steel dibblers, if you like to spend your money that way. Many dibbles feature depth markings, to make it easier to plant seeds and bulbs at the proper depth.

Types of dibbles

Dibbles come in several different varieties: straight, T-handled, L-shaped, and trowel:

• The straight dibble was that early pointed stick. Over time, the straight dibble has evolved to incorporate a more comfortable, curved handle. Many straight dibbles have a pointed metal tip, for better penetration.
• T-handled dibbles use a crosspiece of wood as a handle, to provide a better grip and more control. The L-shaped dibble is similar to the T-shaped variety, but the handle only extends out in one direction.
• The trowel dibber combines a dibber with a trowel, with one tool on either end. These modern dibbles are generally made from aluminum.
• For the industrial strength gardener, there are now dibbles available that have a long handle and a foot powered poker. [Seems a bit extreme, in my opinion.]

Dibble boards

Dibbles can also be transformed into a board that creates the perfect spacing for seeds. These are easy to make from scrap wood and a dowel. Simply take a flat board, or a piece of plywood, and drill several, evenly-spaced holes in the wood. These holes should be just shy of the dowel’s diameter. Then, cut the dowel into pegs. These pegs will be the width of the board plus whatever planting depth you prefer, usually 1 inch. The pegs are tapped into the holes. You can glue them in place, or leave them somewhat moveable, to adjust the depth. If you're feeling crafty, you can add points to the digging end of end peg, but it isn't necessary

When starting seeds, simply press the dibble board against the soil for perfectly spaced seedlings. This reduces the amount of thinning you need to do later on. If you need to space plants out more, simply skip holes.

The down-side to using dibblers, especially in heavy clay soil, is that the surrounding soil is somewhat compressed by the pressure applied to make the hole. If the soil lacks organic material, this can make it difficult for young roots to take hold. As long as you aren’t pressing really hard, and your soil is relatively loose to begin with, this shouldn’t cause any problems. Dibblers are best used in planting trays filled with potting soil.

Food grade hoses vs. garden hoses

After living in an RV for 5 years, I understood all too well the importance of my white hose with its blue stripe. This particular hose was used to bring potable water into my home. (Potable means safe to drink.) What made that hose different from your standard green garden hose? Being sold as a food grade hose means it is covered by the Safe Drinking Water Act. This bit of regulatory protection limits the materials that can break free from the hose and enter the water moving through it. Garden hoses are not (but I think they should be). Because garden hoses are not covered, they can contain significantly higher levels of lead and other toxic chemicals.

Garden hose test results

Public opinion and concern have pressured regulators to look into the issue of toxic garden hoses, but it’s slow process. Many garden hoses contain significant levels of lead, BPA, and phthalates. The bass fittings on the ends of garden hoses have been found to contain dangerous levels of lead about 1/3 of the time. BPAs are used to make hard, clear plastic. The Food and Drug Administration says BPAs are safe, but has banned their use in infant bottles and sippy cups. Huh.

Garden hose materials

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) actively encourages manufacturers to use “old tires and recycled plastics” to make garden hoses. This is great for reducing the amount of trash in landfills but it begs the question of what, exactly, is in those materials and how tightly are they bound to the hose?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), garden hoses contain chemicals called phthalates. Phthalates, or plasticizers, are used to make plastic strong and flexible and they are found in all standard garden hoses. Drinking water from a hose made with phthalates puts these chemicals in your body. Watering plants with the same hose puts those chemicals in your soil. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) classify phthalates as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” Another huh.

If all that weren’t enough, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) warns that garden hoses provide the perfect growth medium for Legionnaires’s disease! Spraying water into the air turns the Legionella bacteria into an inhalable aerosol.

Food grade garden hoses

In the greater scheme of things, the amount of lead and other chemicals that end up in your soil, plants, and food from a garden hose are probably negligible. There is debate about whether BPA molecules, which tend to be large, can even be absorbed by plants. I certainly don’t know. What I do know is that I want to keep carcinogens, lead, and other toxins as far away from me and my garden as possible. These tips can reduce health risks:

• Keep hoses out of direct sunlight
• Protect hoses from freezing
• Read all hose and nozzle labels before buying
• Only buy food grade or “lead free” replacement hoses, as old ones wear out 
• Keep hose ends covered or off the ground

If you are concerned about the possibility of chemicals leaching out of your garden hose, you can always do what I did and switch to higher quality products. Companies, such as Water Right, eartheasy, and others, offer garden hoses made to food grade standards. In my opinion, it’s worth it.

Hose trivia: The Irrigation Museum tells us that the first residential hose nozzle was patented in 1877. Who knew there was an Irrigation Museum???