Editor’s Note: This is a continuation of a series of articles on low cost gardening. See Tip#1 on planning; Tip #2 on Soil; Tip # 3 on Compost.

You can produce quality fruits and vegetables that will taste of the islands. Our climate and resources will make your garden special and the fruits and vegetables you reap flavorful in ways that you can’t get from ordinary store-bought produce imported from mass distributers.

This series of articles tackles the very real issue, though, that gardening can also be a shocking money drain. If you’ve got the budget, you can afford the time-saving products and devices within your means. If you don’t have the budget, don’t give up! There are a lot of ways to garden with very low or no expenditure of funds.

A lot of what I’m sharing here is information I’ve gleaned from obsessive watching of You-Tube videos, reading lots of articles and plant studies, and my own successes and failures. I am not an expert gardener—far from it! Just sharing what I’ve learned.

Here’s hoping these tips help.

Gardeners need tools to effectively work the soil, plant and transplant, and otherwise do their gardening jobs.

1. The first tool I recommend having is a pair of sharp scissors. These are handy for many gardening tasks, including light pruning and prepping various items to use in the garden.

2. You’ll also likely want a trowel (a hand digging tool)and a scoop (to get larger amounts of dirt and compost). You can always start with an old spoon.

3. You will want a funnel (to pour fertilizers, fungicides, or pesticides or the various ingredients into bottles).

4. It is helpful to have plastic labels to stick into your pots so you don’t forget what’s been planted.

CHEAP: If you don’t have money, once you have scissors, you can make these other tools (trowels, scoop, funnel, labels) from plastic milk jugs or plastic gallon water bottles, or even Clorox/bleach bottles. Plastic milk and water bottles are generally better because of the type of plastic used, but bleach bottles also work. Watch the Project Diaries channel video for instructions and demonstrations about making your own tools:

In Today's Project Diary Video I will show you 6 great life hacks and ways to reuse, repurpose and recycle empty plastic milk bottles into useful things for your Garden.

5. It is always good to protect your eyes, your hands, and your skin when gardening. These aren’t typically thought of as tools, but they are helpful: sunglasses or safety glasses, gardening gloves, a wide-brimmed hat.

CHEAP: If you don’t have and can’t afford gloves, you can don plastic bags and work through those. Not as convenient, but they will help keep your nails from becoming impossibly dirt-encrusted, and provide a small amount of protection for any rough skin or abrasions. And of course you can make a hat by weaving palm fronds, island style.

6. Some heavier, long-handled tools are helpful for gardening in your yard. You might want to get a shovel if you’re gardening directly in the land, as opposed to container gardening. A pitchfork is helpful in turning compost. A rake is essential if you’ve got trees that drop leaves or if you need to even out your ground. Other tools like the mattock, cultivator, and hoe are used in farming and yard work.

If you have food stamps, you can use them for gardening implements at an approved store. Realistically, you will need your NAP benefits for your family’s meals, but in your plan (tip#1), you might be able to occasionally carve out some space where you can buy one tool at a time and build your readiness to garden.

7. Other tools and helpful items include strips of cloth (use your scissors on old tee shirts) or cut lengths of twine or string. These are handy for tying up your plants that need support.

8. Having support systems is important for tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans, and other vines. You can use bamboo—it grows here and many people are willing to let you cut their bamboo patches if you don’t have your own because it is so prolific and fast-growing. But you may not want to just take bamboo and use it. Bamboo will last longer if you cure it. I’ve seen different recommendations for how to do this. You can do your own research. Here’s a start:

With a little creativity, there are many bamboo uses for the homesteader and casual grower.

9. You may want a watering can. You can buy one at the gardening centers or you can make your own.

CHEAP AND EASY: You can take a plastic milk jug or a juice bottle and punch holes in the lid (lots of small holes) and have a very useful watering container. You can use a bottle like “ReaLemon” that already has a single hole inset in the top and just wash and refill with water and use as an easy watering method for seedlings and small pots.

No one likes the waste that comes with throwing away old plastic bottles. So press them into service in the garden. They have a surprising number of uses! In this video, we’ll show you how you 10 ingenious ways to repurpose plastic bottles into handy garden tools, containers and more!

10. Other things that you might want to have include a hose and a sprayer. Any kind of spray bottle that doesn’t get clogged can work, even a repurposed spray bottle (e.g., Windex, Febreze, or some other spray bottle you can wash thoroughly and reuse). If you have options, choose one that you won’t get tired of pumping or that has a pump spray or attaches to your hose to both mix and spray your solutions.

11. It is always helpful to have the usual tools available, like a hammer, screwdriver, and pliers. You’ll probably want something like pruning shears, loppers, and a machete at some point. You may need wire cutters. You might also need a good hand saw.

If you don’t have all the tools, don’t be discouraged. Make your plan and see which tools are critical for your immediate needs. Don’t bother getting tools you won’t use right away. You can get them later if and when you actually need them. You can borrow from friends and family and be sure to return promptly and cleaned.

12. Which gets us to the last “tool.” Don’t forget to get something to clean and care for your tools. A bucket of sand with a little oil in can be used on metal tools—just push them in and wiggle them around. Rags are useful for wiping off tools, then throw into the laundry. When pruning plants, it’s good to sanitize your clean tools with alcohol or vinegar. You’ll probably want some oil or make coconut oil to keep them clean, lubricated, and rust free. Wash your garden gloves, if you have some. Plants are susceptible to take in whatever touches them so don’t spread disease inadvertently with bad habits.

Humans are known as animals who use tools! We love tools. They are fun to use! When you have the right tool for the job, it is so much easier to get it done. Enjoy your gardening tools!

Good luck and happy gardening.

(This is not a scientific poll.)