(NAPSA)-—Like a friendship or a natural talent, a garden must be cultivated in orderto grow. Cultivating flower and vegetable beds involves breaking up soil and getting rid of weeds. While it’s possible te tackle this chore manually, there are helpful gadgets which can get the job donein fess time. Before you begin, however, it’s a good idea to keep im mind that: * Soil needs to be relatively dry before cultivating. * To determine if it’s dry enough, grab a handful of the soil in question and try to squeeze it into a ball. Tf the soil sticks together, it’s too wet to cultivate. If the soil erurnbles, ts just right. If you think the soil in your beds is too hard, try to work in a soil-loosening product, which will provide nutrients and make your soil the correct consistency for planting. When choosing a cultivator, consider that most models are heavy and cumbersome. Most consumers are reluctant to purchase such a customized tool, which can be expensive and take up a lot of space in the tool shed. Another option is a cultivator attachment to a multi-purpose garden tool. Such a device can be just the thing for tilling small home flower and vegetable gardens or raised beds-—helping bring forth a colorful bounty without costing a lot of green. For example, the Ryobi GC720r is an add-on cultivator for the How does your garden grow? A cultivator may be able to help it grow even better. company’s TrimmerPlus system. The attachment has an adjustable tine width of 6” to 944”, allowing the user to til over rows without damaging plants. With four heattreated, heavy-duty 8” steel tines, it has the ability to ent through weeds and turn soil, allowing nutrients to replenish the earth. The GC720r features a heavyduty gear box for long-lasting dependability, and the innovative shaft allows gardeners to use the cultivator with any TrimmerFlus unit—the lightweight electric, 2cycle or environmentally friendly 4-cycle version. The add-on cultivator is available at most home centers for about $89. To learn more about the TrimmerPlus system and its various attachments, call 800-345- 8746 or visit the Web site at www. RyobiOutdoor.com.
