Garden tools - tools

A variety of digging and material moving implements are essential for gardening. For soil work a full-sized round-pointed shovel and a digging fork are both useful. The digging fork can be used when cultivating as it is somewhat easier than a shovel to get into most soils. The well-supplied garden tool shed will also contain a flat shovel for cleanup and for moving larger piles of lighter material a full-sized scoop cuts work time and effort.

Probably the most used hand tool in our professional digging arsenal is what we call a ‘shooter spade’. They are somewhat hard to find at your standard hardware store and consist of sharpened narrow blade to which has been welded a weighted handle. ‘Shooter spades’ are useful for all manner of digging and transplanting. One slings the tool into the ground using the weighted aspect to gain the force to dig and then pushes it forward or back to loosen the sliced soil.

Two of my favorites for versatility are a short handled mini-shovel and top of the list – a soil knife, which is a superlative stand in for most types of trowels and small hand cultivating tools. Both are almost indispensable for planting and smaller-sized transplanting.

Broom rakes of about six inches in width are helpful for getting into garden beds and wider ones of two feet or more for lawn cleanup. Additionally, a garden tool quiver should have at least one sturdy bow rake and/or a level head rake for leveling beds and heavier raking requirements.

For moving longer distances than you can throw, either a two-wheeled cart or a sturdy wheelbarrow will earn their keep. The two-wheeled cart has the advantage of stability and often has molded spaces to store tools when moving around - they do sacrifice a bit of maneuverability when compared to wheelbarrow.

However, for moving lighter materials a tarp is frequently the most efficient way to go. When beginning garden bed cleanup spread out a sturdy tarp and throw on sticks and prunings and sweep rake leaves on and then gather up a couple ends and drag to its destination. If you have not over-filled, two people can unload a big pile into a pickup truck or onto a high pile much easier than a wheelbarrow or cart filled with far less material, and one doesn’t have to lift it.

Selecting the right tool for the job while working in a garden can make the experience much more enjoyable and the time spent more productive.