Скачать или смотреть $200 Garden Tool: Worth It?

At Blue Glass Farm, we've tried many tools over the years—some have become essential, while others were complete failures. Today, we're reviewing Johnny's Seeds' new row marker to see if it's worth the investment.

If you're familiar with row marking systems, this one is similar to Connor Crickmore's Gridder and the older Johnny's bed roller with dibbler attachments. We actually own a Johnny's bed roller, but it ended up in the scrap pile. It never worked for us because it wasn't heavy enough to press into our soil effectively, and the dibbles constantly fell out. Adjusting it for different spacing, like 6 or 12 inches, was tedious.

We considered the Neversink Gridder but found two significant advantages with Johnny's system. First, Johnny's markers use 6, 9, and 12-inch spacings, which align much better with our existing crop plans than Neversink's 7.5 and 15-inch spacings. Second, Johnny's system uses Connect connectors, allowing us to easily swap out the tool head for another row marker or attach different tools like a wire hoe, stirrup hoe, or bed rake. While we haven't had this tool long enough to make a final judgment, it feels much more robust at first glance. It's easy to use—place it on the ground, align the handle, and push it in with one hand. The real test will be whether the connector holds up over time or rusts out like Neversink's tools, which has always been an issue.

Honestly, I didn’t have high expectations for this tool. Our beds aren’t perfectly prepped; our compost isn't super fine, and roots or debris can get in the way. However, this row marker has been surprisingly effective. It's heavier than it looks and clearly made from solid metal, making it a bit cumbersome to carry, but it’s not uncomfortable. The extra weight helps it sink into our soil nicely. It’s not perfect, but it's much faster than the old method we used with dibble boards. With our deep mulch starting to break down and more weeds appearing, having precise row alignment is crucial. This tool helps ensure weeding tools can fit between the rows, allowing us to make a single pass without adjusting plants that are too close or too far apart. We've already used it to plant out half a dozen beds, and I can say with certainty that it will pay for itself by the end of the season.