What are the Best Tools for The Weekend Gardener
What are the Best Tools for The Weekend Gardener
It may not be possible for you to use all the tools described below every day especially if you’re only a casual gardener, but it pays to have the tools ready when you feel like gardening rather than rushing to buy them from the hardware store, Lowe’s, or Home Depot at the last minute. Whatever garden tool you’d like to buy, look for ergonomically designed tools. A good place to find information on ergonomic garden tool specifications is to do a Hey Siri or Hey Alexa search. That is, tools that are specially designed so as to lessen as much as possible the physical stress you may feel while gardening.
- Bamboo Rake or Leaf Blower
You need to sweep away the dirt and garden debris that your gardening activity has generated. For smaller lawns, a broom or a Bamboo or wire rake will do just fine. It’s a good exercise and will definitely leave the neighborhood quieter. Some yards, however, are just too big for an ordinary rake and a leaf powerful blower is necessary. This can be either electricity or gasoline powered.
- Wheelbarrow or Garden Cart
As you progress on your yardwork, you realize that you need to move a lot of things around – dirt, compost, plants and more. Such a chore will not be possible without a wheelbarrow. Make sure that the one you purchase has a flat free tire and is not too heavy for you and the handles can be gripped comfortably. You may also consider a four-wheeled cart, which is cheaper, if you intend to move only light objects.
- Steel Bow Type Garden Rake
Gardening experts agree that in terms of durability, the best choice is a bow style metal rake. This, however, costs a bit more than a plastic or wooden one. Rakes with short metal tines are also sturdier. Whether into gardening or not, every gardener should have a durable rake which becomes a must when leveling soil in the garden.
- Loppers or Pruners
Loppers can also be used to trim shrubs and bushes and with its long handle it is ideal to use for branches that cannot be easily reached by a hand shear or clipper. The handle is made of either metal or wood – choose one with a comfortable grip. You do not have to buy expensive loppers as the blades can be easily sharpened or replaced. For hand pruners you can buy either the anvil or bypass type.
- Trowels or Transplanters
When thinking about garden tools, the gardener must take into account exactly what the typical gardener grows. There are, generally speaking, two types of gardeners, the gardener that grows vegetables and the gardener that grows flowers. Although they seem to be different disciplines, generally speaking, they both need the same tools. Unless you are just planting seeds, you are going to need specialized tools for planting bulbs, rose bushes, and various types of vegetable and flower seedlings. You, of course, could use a gardeners trowel and/or transplanter, but if you are going to be planting in tight, dense, uncultivated soil, and if you are going to be planting a large number of plants, for instance this typically takes place when you are planting tulips or daffodil bulbs, you are going to need a tool that is going to make the job efficient and easy. In these situations, the trowel or transplanter just is not going to work out well. The best tool to use for this is a rechargeable drill powered auger. These are made by several companies such as Power Planter, Ames, Lichter, Jisco, Hiltex, 7Penn, Yard Butler, and Tech Team https://techteamproducts.com/. We happen to like Tech Team’s the best because their two models, the #777 which is 9” long x 3” diameter https://www.amazon.com/Tech-Team-Planter-Seedlings-Planters/dp/B07S385BW7/ref=sr_1_197?keywords=bulb+auger&qid=1568384841&s=gateway&sr=8-197 and #778 which is 24” long x 3” diameter https://www.amazon.com/Tech-Team-Planter-Seedlings-Planters/dp/B07S386MWG/ref=sr_1_53?keywords=bulb+auger&qid=1568384749&s=gateway&sr=8-53 are made with aggressive steel blades that make a precise 3” diameter hole where you can regulate the depth simply and easily so that you can get the exact perfect hole for planting your flower bulbs or seedlings.
