IWCP  Garden Group:  meeting on Tuesday, 28^th February 2023

Special subject:  Sue Spence on "Natural Fertilizers"
Plants need potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen which are absorbed through the root system.   How do these work for plants?

Potassium:        https://www.cropnutrition.com/nutrient-management/potassium                        
                          helps form strong stems
                          plant growth
                          helps plants fight disease   

Phosphorus:      harvests the sun's energy and converting it into growth and reproduction                             helps form roots, seeds, flowers, fruit
                          helps plants fight disease

Nitrogen:           leaf growth
                         good leaf colour (nitrogen deficiency symptom is yellowing leaves

POINTS  TO  REMEMBER
·       Most natural fertilizers are a concentrate and need diluting
·       Most natural fertilizers are dark brown – LABEL  THE  BOTTLE  (give dilution ratio)
·       Be aware that the brown liquid will stain tiling so use a saucer under pots on tiles
·       Add around base of plants, not foliage
·       Fertilize plants during the growing period
·       Add fertilizer either after rain or after watering (wet earth absorbs liquid better)
·       If fertilizing vegetables,  DO  NOT water foliage (water carefully around base)
·       If making a smelly fertilizer, site away from the house

COFFEE  GROUNDS  (for potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen)
Coffee grounds
1 tsp. cinnamon
club soda water

Mix together with the club soda water and add to pot plants.
Dilution:  use undiluted
Use:        once a week

COFFEE  GROUNDS  (for acid-loving plants such as hortensia, parsley)
Add spent coffee grounds around the plant and fork in well as they will take moisture from the plant.

BANANA  PEEL  (rich in potassium and phosphorus).  Good for roses
Wash peel first to remove processing materials.
EITHER soak in water for 3 - 4 days, remove peel and spray undiluted liquid on the plants.
OR         chop skin into small pieces and dig deep into the earth around the plant
Dilution:  use undiluted
Use:       during growing period

WEED  TEA  (rich in nitrogen)   Small quantity
10 litre bucket
weeds
water

Fill bucket a quarter full of weeds then add water to the top and soak for a week.   Remove weeds and throw away (do not put them on your compost).  
Dilution:   use undiluted.

WEED  TEA   (BLACK  GUMBO)  Large quantity, anaerobic (without oxygen - smelly)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVF26Dza0uA

Large plastic barrel (needs lid to keep out mosquitos).  

Fill barrel with green garden refuse (without seeds or seed heads) and fill almost to the top with cold water, then top up with warm water.  Cover and leave for 2-4 months (VERY smelly).  Add seaweed and other organic material, it is a permanent, concentrated brew.

Dilution:  3:7  so 3 scoops black gumbo to 7 scoops water
Use:       every 2-3 weeks during growing period.

WEED  TEA  (aerobic = not smelly)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVF26Dza0uA
Large plastic barrel
plastic window box w/out holes to collect fluid
3 bricks
2 lengths wood
fine chicken wire (filter).    

Make holes in bottom of barrel to match collecting tray dimensions.Place 3 bricks in bottom of barrel with filter on top.   Fill with vegetation and add round flat disk with rock on top to weigh down vegetation.   As vegetation compacts & reduces keep adding vegetation to the top.   If making in summer months, add some water.   Concentrated liquid collects in container in 2-3 weeks in hot weather.
Dilution:  1:20  (½ litre feed to a 10 litre watering) can to begin with, cld increase to 1:10 later.
Use:        Apply every 2-3 weeks during growing period.

GRASS  CUTTINGS  TEA  (adds potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus, chlophyl & amino acids)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUCgRSdcyoA
Grass cuttings + mesh bag
Water
Bucket

Do not use grass cuttings which have had any chemicals applied to them.  Place the grass cuttings into the mesh bag into the bucket and add water.   Steep for four days and strain off.
Dilution:  use undiluted
Use:       every 2 weeks to base of plants or spray on leaves

TEA  AND  PORRIDGE  OATS  (for nitrogen) 
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/aComOG01DxU
1 teabag
1 tblsp. porridge oats
skin of one banana (optional)
500ml water

Empty teabag into a large jar, add the porridge oats and banana skin and half a litre of boiling water.   Allow to stand for one hour then strain the liquid through a sieve.
Dilution:  use undiluted
Use:        Feed the plants every three weeks.

COMPOST  TEA  (Les Secrets de Nos Grandperes)
This can also be made with a good quality commercial compost if you don’t have home-made compost

A square or round of jute (50cm)
A length of string
Container
water
3 handfuls of well-matured compost
2.5 litres of water

Place the compost in the centre of the jute and close tightly with the string.   Fill the container with the water and soak the bagged compost in the water for 5 to 8 days and stir once every day.   Water plants at the base with the undiluted “tea”.   If using this tea for vegetables, take care not to water the foliage.
Dilution:  use undiluted
Use:       every 2 weeks in the spring then every month in the summer

EGGSHELLS  (calcium and potassium, lowers acidity in the soil)
Wash eggshells inside and out, then dry and crush them finely with mortar and pestle..

EITHER   spread crushed shell around the plant.   The shell will be absorbed by the earth
OR    put in saucepan and add water.   Bring to the boil and boil for 2 – 3 minutes then cool.
Dilution:   use undiluted
Use:         could also be a deterrent for slugs (along with holly leaves)

WOOD  ASH  (rich in potassium, magnesium and calcium)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVF26Dza0uA
This fertilizer will hardly change the Ph of the soil.

Wood ash (must not have been exposed to rain which washes away minerals.
Rain water
Container

Mix ash and water together at 1:5 ratio and stir well to create a concentrated mix.
Dilution:  1 cup (250 ml) of concentrated fertiliser to 4 litres of water (1 cup : 1 gallon)
Use:        once a week

COMFREY  (rich in potassium, nitrogen, phospherus - promotes plant growth and kills parasites).   Difficult to buy plants so have to grow from seed

1 kg comfrey leaves
Large plastic container
Lidded plastic bottles for storage

Roughly chop the leaves and place in a plastic container with 10 litres of water.   Soak for one month, stirring every day, until there are no more bubbles on the surface.  Sieve the liquid and store in lidded plastic bottles (keeps for approx, six months in airtight container).    

Dilution:   1:20 ratio (one cup comfrey to 20 cups water) if spraying foliage
                OR 1:4 if watering the base of the plants
Use:         once a week for tomatoes (once the fiowers have set) and on plants needing a pick-
                me-up.   If using for edible plants stop using one month before harvesting.

NETTLES (Urtica dioica)  Difficult to buy plants, so have to grow from seed.   OR  buy ready-made liquid called Purin d’Ortie (concentrate, needs diluting)
Grow in moist soil in a constricted area (remember those nettles in UK?).   This is a very foul smelling process so do not do it inside the house or garage.  

EITHER   Buy a length of flat flexible metal or thick plastic used for restricting bamboo plants,
                make an overlapping circle and bury in the ground with 5cm showing above soil.  
OR           grow in large plastic pots and keep the earth moist.   The plant is deciduous so no
                leaves in winter months.   

Propagation is by lateral roots – dig up a plant and cut the root |(with fine roots leading off the thicker root) into 5cm lengths and plant several in a large pot.   Keep near the house as it need frequent watering.

Seeds:  https://www.graines-et-bio.fr/graines-bio-aromatiques-et-medicinales/graines-bio-ortie-dioique-711?ads=googleshopping&gclid=Cj0KCQiAo-yfBhD_ARIsANr56g4zKf6nCOM_q0SUI-oFGdN4nHkFPEXfa0fXQOYuKhGbkPIfUHyAF_waAqBhEALw_wcB
Cost:  €3.20  free delivery

Nettle leaves
Container with lid
Water

Fill a bucket with chopped nettle leaves.   Cover with water, place lid loosely on top (do not fasten) and soak for 1 - 2 weeks, stirring daily until there are no more surface bubbles.   Strain the liquid into plastic bottles with screw lids and put the nettle solids onto the compost.  

Dilution:  1:10 with water (do not dilute large quantities and store, dilute just enough for
               immediate use).   The concentrate liquid will last for six months.

Use:        every 4-6 weeks either to the base of the plant OR by spraying the foliage where it
               acts as an insect repellant..   Good to spray on foliage of roses

 
SASKIA’S  NETTLE  &  LENTIL SOUP  

Ingredients:         100g nettle tops (i.e. small leaves)
                            100g puy lentils (green)
                            ½ litre stock
                            1 small onion
                            1 ½ tbsp. olive oil
                            Juice of half a lemon
                            150 ml yhoghurt or buttermilk
                            1 clove of garlic
                            Salt and pepper to taste

                            50g chopped mixed herbs (sorrel, parsley, cherval, tarragon, lovage & thyme)

Method:
Wash the lentils and pick over carefully, removing any small stones and put in a large pan with the stock.  Bring to the boil and simmer until they are soft, approximately 45 minutes.  

Peel and chop the onion.  Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion until soft and golden. Half way through the frying, add the chopped garlic.  Wash the nettles and add them to the cooked lentils.  Cook the mixture for another 5 minutes till the nettles have softened.  Add the onion, garlic and mixed herbs.  Blend the soup till smooth.  Stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and the yoghurt or buttermilk and serve hot.

 

 

 

 

 

AGAVE ssp

There are about 200 species of Agave plants. The plant has sharp marginal teeth and a very sharp terminal spine. The stem is very short which makes it look stemless. During flowering a tall stem up to 12m grows from the centre of the rosette bearing a large number of short tubular flowers. After flowering the original plant dies. During its lifetime the Agave continually produces new offsets. The lifespan of an Agave is between 10 to 15 years.  

What is the Agave plant used for?
a) Honey:
The flowers are edible and the stalk, in summer, before flowering, can be roasted or chewed to extract the Aguamiel. The leaves are ready to eat in winter and spring when they are rich in sap. 

b) Sisal and hemp: Agave sisalana is used for sisal and hemp. 

c) Beverages:
Tequila (alcoholic) Tequila is made from Agave tequilana (Blue Agave). The plant is harvested when it is 7 years old. The harvesting is done manually with a machete-like tool curved at the top (coa) to remove the leaves, revealing the core, called pina, (looks a bit like a pineapple).   The core is then chopped into quarters, baked to extract its fermentable sugars. 

The oven is made of clay or brick called ‘hornos’ or in large stainless steel ovens. After baking, the pinas are crushed and shredded to extract the sweet juice inside called mosto. This is done by either an industrial mechanical shredder or in the traditional way, using a ‘tahona’ a large stone wheel that crushes and juices the pinas. 

The mosto is combined with yeast and water in large, stainless steel fermentation tanks or large wooden barrels. It is then fermented which produces a liquid called ‘Pulque’, which the Aztecs drank before the Spanish introduced distillation. 

After the fermentation (72 hours), the liquid is distilled. At that stage the yeast has eaten up the sugars to create alcohol and, as a bi-product, CO2. The more alcohol and CO2 they create, the less sugar there is for them to feed on and at a certain point if this continues the alcohol becomes toxic. For a better product we have to distill to separate the alcohol from the water. 

The Agave juices are distilled which purifies the liquid. The distillation process separates the alcohol from the water by using evaporation and condensation. Because alcohol has a lower boiling point than water, the alcohol (ethanol) evaporates, in doing so it rises and travels through a cooling tube, which is connected with another vessel to condense. 

The first distillation produces a cloudy liquid called ‘ordinario’. A second distillation is required to get a clear liquid. Very good quality is distilled three times before bottling. Water is added to make it 40 degrees proof. 

After having been manufactured, the Tequilla is aged for 14-21 days minimum. The type of Tequilla produced after 14-21 days is called ‘blanco’ or ‘silver’. A better quality is ‘reposado’ which has been rested from 2 months to 1 year and ‘Anego’ is rested between 1-3 years. The Tequilla is rested in oak barrels which gives the Tequilla its golden colour. 

Mescal (alcoholic)
To make Mescal, a different Agave is used called ‘Agave angustifolia’. Instead of vats, large underground pits are dug. Charcoal is used for the fire, followed by a layer of volcanic stones, then another layer of charcoal and volcanic stones. It is then left to reach a certain temperature. The Agave pieces are added. It is covered by a heat resistant tarp and is left smoking for one week. 

The pieces of agave are then removed by hand and transported to a crushing machine where they are ground into small pieces. The Agave fibres are then taken to wooden tanks for fermentation which takes 3 days. It is then distilled and water is added before bottling. 

Agave juice (non-alcoholic)
The most frequently used Agave for making agave juiice is the Agave americana. The agaves are taken to a facility where they are heated to no more than 48 degrees C. in a giant kind of pressure cooker to make the juice flow It is then chopped up, filtered and sent to a centrifuge and poured into bottles. 

Agave syrup (non-alcoholic)
The juice is extracted from the core of the Agave, then filtered. It is then heated to 48 degrees C. At that temperature the carbohydrates, mainly “Inulin” are turned into a fructose (sugar). The filtered juice is a little thinner than honey, like a syrup. Nutritionally it is considered a form of soluble fibre (inulin which has minimal impact on blood sugar levels making it a suitable sugar for diabetics and weight control. 

ENEMY OF THE AGAVES
What is the Agave Snout Weevil?
The weevil is a form of beetle about 2.5 cm long, black, with the scientific name Scyphophorus acupuntatus. They normally choose weak or old Agaves to lay their eggs. The bite of the beetle injects bacteria which cause the plant tissues to soften and eventually liquefy, easier for the larvae and beetle to eat the tissue, which eventually will result in the plant dying.  

What can you do to protect your Agaves?
How to protect the Agaves around a diseased one:  if the plant shows signs of infestation, remove it and every plant for several feet surrounding it.  Then sift the soil and pick out grubs and beetles - fortunately they’re slow crawlers! 

What to do once you have an infestation?
If the infestation is spreading like crazy it has to be brought under control.   Drench the soil around the agaves with an insecticide that has imidacloprid as the main ingredient.    One brand is Compare-N-Save Systemic Tree and Shrub Insect Drench which contains 1.47% imidacloprid and costs about $52/gallon on Amazon.   Another brand is Bayer Tree and Shrub Insect Control with 2.94% imidacloprid.   About $90/gallon on Amazon.  

This information comes from America where these infestations appear regularly.
Author: Saskia Newlands

Tools for the "Troisieme Age" Gardeners

 

Disclaimer:  Most items have been sourced in France because of the tedious problems associated with post-Brexit purchases from British companies (indeed, many companies have stopped shipping to Europe post Brexit).   NOTE:  of the items featured below, the only ones I own are the trolley, kneeler & plastic leaf rake:  the others featured are similar to the tools on the table which were purchased in local retail outlets in France (the ladies fork is 100 years+ and belonged to my aunt). 

      Pearls of wisdom from Fred The Shed (http://www.fredshed.co.uk/forksandspades.htm)
    *  Don’t buy shiny (stainless steel) – not as strong as forged metal      
   *  Bulldog and/or Spears & Jackson now make their forged metal tools in India

TIPS
Take mobile phone with you when you garden
Don’t go up a ladder unless you have someone with you
To move a table on a terrace:  if the base is square, roll it along using three 10cm diam. plastic pipe lengths like the Romans did. 
To move a heavy pot, place pot on a wooden plank and push/pull along the plank. 
If removing a sack of compost from the car boot, slide it down a plank onto a wheelbarrow or trolley
Digging spade or fork handles – go for T-handle rather than D-handle (if the bar rolls it can pinch the  hand)
Use a smaller watering can (or only half-fill your normal watering can)
Try a “pick-up stick” if bending down is a problem

LEAF  RAKE  
https://www.leroymerlin.fr/produits/terrasse-jardin/outils-de-jardinage/outils-pour-nettoyer-et-traiter-les-dechets/balai-exterieur/balai-a-gazon/balai-a-feuilles-l-43-cm-combisystem-gardena-279902.html
Cost:  €19.80

SECETEURS  -  ORDINARY  or  RACHET  or  BATTERY-OPERATED ?
GARDENERS  WORLD  MAGAZINE  VIDEO:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE0Wj9pOj8g
It is better to make an angled cut rather than a straight-across cut.

Rachet requires repeat-action (say three or four times) which may not be comfortable for arthritic hands.
Except for the Bosch battery seceteur (which looks a slightly chunkier of the classic seceteur), powered seceteurs have the battery clipped to the end which might be clumsy when delving into a many branched shrub.

If buying online, try to actually handle the seceteurs before buying (not always possible if they are packaged).   Remember, you get what you pay for – my latest cheapy purchase did not cut cleanly.

SECATEURS (non rachet)
https://www.jardiniste.fr/products/secateur-japonais-grpro-niwaki-acier-carbone
Cost:   €92.00  (free delivery)  small, right-handed, carbon steel

Niwaki brand - is this the Japanese make that Mavis McQuade heard recommended on a BBC radio gardening programme?   Better to buy in France - if purchased in UK the additional costs of customs duty (£16.48) and shipping  cost/DHL handling charges (£25.98) push the initial purchase price of £69.00 up to £123.46.

SECETEURS  (RACHET)
https://www.amazon.fr/S%C3%A9cateur-Cr%C3%A9maill%C3%A8re-Automatique-GPPS-1011-Cisaille/dp/B07S51WRBF/ref=sr_1_7?__mk_fr_FR=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&keywords=secateurs+gonicc&qid=1643483127&sr=8-7
Cost :     €17.95
Non-battery, rachet, but lighter in weight (recommended by UK Arthritis)

SECETEURS  (BATTERY-OPERATED)
https://www.amazon.fr/S%C3%A9cateur-sans-fil-Bosch-EasyPrune/dp/B083QLYK7V/ref=sr_1_5?__mk_fr_FR=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&crid=2EKL4LC84SIJI&keywords=bosch%2Bs%C3%A9cateur%2Bsans%2Bfil&qid=1643584649&sprefix=bosch%2Bsecateur%2Bsans%2Bfils%2Caps%2C193&sr=8-5&th=1
Cost :   €73.12
Bosch, rechargable battery, slightly chunkier version of traditional mechanical seceteur

LOPPPERS  (PARROT  CLIPPERS)
VIDEO:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAvnNYgo29g
Link:        https://www.thespruce.com/top-choices-for-loppers-1403276

Look for:  rubber handles, carbon steel blade, non-stick blade
Rachet loppers are needed to cut dead wood, it is very difficult to cut through with bypass loppers.
Like rachet seceteurs, rachet loppers need to be opened between cutting to operate the rachet
Battery operated loppers are just a larger, heavier version of seceteurs
Check a) how long the loppers work on a full charge and b) how long the battery takes to recharge).   OR buy two batteries if you frequently have a lot of pruning to do.

https://www.amazon.fr/TABOR-TOOLS-GG11-Coupe-Branches-Antiadh%C3%A9sif/dp/B01E5MV0LG?th=1
Cost:    £37.99, mechanical not rachet

KNEELER  (REPOSE  GENOUX) 
https://www.leroymerlin.fr/produits/terrasse-jardin/outils-de-jardinage/outils-pour-cultiver-son-potager/beche/repose-genoux-jardin-54-cm-83804925.html
Cost:  €29.90 (only sold on the internet, not in shop) (folds flat for hanging up)

TROLLEY  (CHARIOT)
https://www.leroymerlin.fr/produits/chauffage-plomberie/accessoires-poele-et-cheminee/abri-bois-et-range-buches-exterieur/abri-a-bois/chariot-a-buches-charge-maximale-80kg-pneus-en-caoutchouc-82959517.html
Cost:   €39.90
Load:  80 Kg
If carrying items other than logs, (i.e. narrower), need to fit planks across both levels.

LEAF  BLOWER  (SOUFFLEUR) (battery operated)
https://uk.ryobitools.eu/garden-tools/blowers-and-vacuums/blowers/rbl1820s/rbl1820s40s-1/
Cost:    €89 (includes 1 x battery + charger)
Battery run time is approx. 15 minutes, re-charge time is fast at 1hr 40 mins.
Weight with battery:   2.3 Kg
No speed variation, can be operated & turned on/off with one hand

SPADES  (PELLE  A  BECHER)
Buy a ladies’ spade which is smaller and lighter;   today it seems to be described as a “border” spade.   A man’s spade is heavier and lifts too much soil when charged so too tiring.

https://www.chausson.fr/lp/692052-1?flxrid=c732e460-705a-450b-856a-70824cdd31b7&utm_source=gshopping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=fluxcenter
Cost:  €21.49   (a reviewer said might break if used for heavy digging)

https://www.amazon.fr/SHW-FIRE-59044-B%C3%AAche-Femme-Abgerundet/dp/B08562Q8MR/ref=sr_1_36?__mk_fr_FR=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&crid=A91QD2XWPYKM&keywords=sneeboer%2Bbeche&qid=1643103483&sprefix=sneeboer%2Bbeche%2Caps%2C1092&sr=8-36&th=1
Cost:        €58.90 + €15 delivery from Germany  (€49 on SHW-FIRE website but won’t ship to France)
Weight:    1.9 Kg

FORKS  FOR  DIGGING  (FOURCHE  A  BECHER)
Ladies forks seem to be a thing of the past, the nearest appear to be border forks but the tines are still longer than ladies forks of yesteryear.
https://www.leroymerlin.fr/produits/terrasse-jardin/outils-de-jardinage/outils-pour-cultiver-son-potager/beche/fourche/fourche-a-becher-acier-revex-manche-bois-80-cm-73668532.html?megaBoost
Cost:  €35.50   (narrow but tines are rather long)

https://fr.jardins-animes.com/fourche-beche-dents-sneeboer-p-25.html
Cost:  €127.95

https://www.craigmoreonline.ie/catalogsearch/result/?q=gardener+digging+fork
Cost:  €14.17   (can’t beat this price and I like the old-fashioned handle!)

LONG-HANDLED  MINI-FORK  (PETITE  FOURCHE  AVEC  MANCHE  LONGUE)
These are great for light digging in the border to loosen compacted soil without bending down or kneeling as one would with a hand fork.
https://www.promessedefleurs.com/outils-pour-le-travail-du-sol/beches-louchets-et-fourches-a-
becher/fourche-a-becher-bequille-traditionnelle-de-pypere.html
Cost:  €35.50      Make:  de Pypere (Belgian)

 

Or try the Wolf brand of clip-on tools, they have this mini-fork.   Good quality & available in most garden centres.   Gardena also do a range of clip-on tools like the leaf rake (first photo).

CORDLESS  STRIMMER  (DEBROUSSAILLEUSE  SANS  FILS)
Look for:   *   highest voltage/wattage/revs per minute
                 *   two batteries with charger EU plug
                 *   EU plug and voltage (240V)                        
                 *   telescopic handle
                 *   choice of blades (serrated metal saw,  2x flat metal blades, 5 x plastic blades)
                 *   wheels (for larger flat areas) 

https://fr.aliexpress.com/item/1005002837686112.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2fra&_randl_currency=EUR&_randl_shipto=FR&src=google&src=google&albch=shopping&acnt=248-630-5778&isdl=y&slnk=&plac=&mtctp=&albbt=Google_7_shopping&aff_platform=google&aff_short_key=UneMJZVf&&albagn=888888&isSmbAutoCall=false&needSmbHouyi=false&albcp=10191220526&albag=107473525328&trgt=1284054470089&crea=fr1005002837686112&netw=u&device=c&albpg=1284054470089&albpd=fr1005002837686112&gclid=Cj0KCQiA9OiPBhCOARIsAI0y71CdZgKFSlP56vVI2bvNEAxgAS98iJe2fvld0kaeMK6w73QGNskccm0aApFKEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Cost:   €42.00   (made in Russia, shipped from China!), free delivery but slow boat from China.

SUGGESTED  BY  MEMBERS  AT  THE  MEETING

LEAF   GRABBERS  (RAMASSE  FEUILLES)
There seems to be three types –

*  cheapy but flatter so don’t hold many leaves and the strap for hands is uncomfortable
*  larger, curvy so more leaves picked up but still need to bend down to gather leaves into bag or sack
*  the Rolls Royce with long handles so no bending (see Darlac below) but leaves appear to need to be   loaded into a  Big Bag or wheelbarrow and probably not easy to load into a 100-litre plastic sack

Darlac leaf grabber

Videos:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWm--xPS0Kg 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qcg6SExLkBo
Unfortunately currently unavailable on www.amazon.fr.   Cost in UK is approx. £22.
From the video, the Darlac handled grabbers load best into large sacks like one-metre-cube BigBag sacks which are cumbersome for transferring leaves into a leaf mould bin or a car (100-litre bags are easier).

BIG  BAG
https://www.leroymerlin.fr/produits/outillage/outillage-specialise/outillage-du-macon/sac-a-gravats-reutilisable-ocai-150-l-69587623.html
Cost:   €7.90

 

 

PICKUP-STICK
This one has a magnetic tip and adjustable hinge and will also be useful in the kitchen to access stuff from the top cupbo9ard shelves (I use my hip replacement hospital-issue stick for reaching my baking pans & racks rather than getting the steps out of the garage).

https://www.amazon.fr/Ramassage-Pr%C3%A9hension-Magn%C3%A9tique-Caoutchouc-Jardin-RG01/dp/B09FY3PSYX/ref=sr_1_25?__mk_fr_FR=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&crid=2G8DTWHLJ9H5O&keywords=Darlac+ramasse+feuille&qid=1643740146&sprefix=darlac+ramasse+feuille%2Caps%2C213&sr=8-25
Cost:   €16.99