Dibbling Away the Winter
The winter is a time to take care of chores on the farm that often you are too busy to do during the growing season. A small little project that is an essential time saver is the dibbler tool. A dibbler is a panel of wood with 1/4 inch push pins arranged in various seeding configurations. In short, it is a time saver to allow you to press into the soil at the right depth and space that the seeds will be placed in each tray. 50 to 100 seed holes can be done in a matter of seconds in each tray. Now your trays should all be a standard size, and fitting a block of wood to nestle inside the lip of that tray, takes some careful measuring. A 3/4 to one inch plywood or scrap board will give you a good firm weighted panel. On one side of the dibble attach a cork pad with sticky strips found at the hardware or Staples store. Next figure your seed row configurations and center the pattern on the cork side with a pencil and ruler. Then take your 1/4 inch push pins and tap them into place. To finish the project purchase two cabinet or screen door pulls and screw them onto the opposite side. Now you are ready to start your spring seedling trays.
