You might find this a bit odd, but I use a flower-bulb planting tool when transplanting vegetable seedlings into the garden. It’s actually my favorite vegetable garden tool. Yet one would naturally think that a hand implement with a specific name, like bulb planter, would have one very specific job. 

My Flower Bulb Planting Tool

I’m not sure why I picked up the bulb planter one day, instead of my normal gardening hand tools. I guess I saw it lying in the tool bin and thought I’d give a try. Which is a bit odd for me. After all, as a young bride, my hubby would always tell me to “use the right tool for the job.”  

This usually followed my ill-attempts at performing a task with clearly the “wrong” tool. At that time in my life, I didn’t know the difference between a wrench, socket or nut driver, much less how to use them. So I took the mantra of using the right tool for the job to heart.

But nonetheless, after years of being told to use the right tool for the job, I mustered up the courage to try the bulb planter tool. I was amazed at how well it worked. It dug a perfect little hole at the perfect depth for transplanting tomato and pepper plants.

Bulb Planter Tool – Not Just For Bulbs

I start most of my own vegetable garden seedlings. The disposable cups I use are the exact shape as the holes made by the bulb planter tool. Even freshly tilled, the soil in the garden is sufficiently moist in the spring to hold this “cup” shape. 

As I push the flower bulb planting tool into the tilled soil, I give it a twist and pull out a plug of dirt. Then, I remove the vegetable garden seedling from the cup. It slides perfectly into the cup-shaped hole. I pour in a little water, then squeeze the handle of the bulb planter to release the soil. It only takes a few seconds to gently backfill around the seedling.

Yes! It’s that quick and easy. I also found the flower bulb planting tool works just as well when planting the “squares of dirt” which come with greenhouse seedlings grown in rectangular seed trays. Plus, it’s very easy to adjust the planting depth. Simply twist the tool into the ground to the desired depth. 

Compared to using other gardening hand tools, I found the bulb planter allows me to transplant my vegetable seedlings quicker and more efficiently. So, maybe it’s not the “right” tool for the job. But this specific tool, designed to perform a specific job, has since become my favorite vegetable garden tool. Shhh, just don’t tell hubby!