"Before the reward, there must be labor. You plant before you harvest. You sow in tears before you reap joy." - Ralph Ransom
Once the temperatures warm after a long dreary winter, we gardeners burst outdoors to clean up and inspect all the new greenery that is popping up out of the ground!
In your excitement, it is easy to get ahead of yourself and get started tackling those spring chores without the right tools. So before you make things more difficult than they have to be, take a deep breath, do a few stretches to warm up, then get yourself the right tools for the job!
The breadth and span of human ingenuity have created more than one type of each kind of garden tool! Having the right tools can make or break your garden to-do list, and even your back! What might be a five-minute chore can become an irritating hours-long task with the wrong equipment.
Also known as loppers or trimmers, pruners are tools that are good for pruning stems and breaking down larger branches for the compost bin or yard waste. But each has its own specific or best uses in the garden. Anything too large will require a saw or a power saw/tool.
Opt for something that is hardened steel, stainless or carbon steel, or titanium. Always choose an ergonomic, cushioned handle. Learn how to sharpen your blades and sterilize them between cuts and keep the mechanisms oiled with some WD-40 to prevent rust for longevity.
Crushing cuts by pressing a sharp blade against a flat anvil. Ideal for dead or hard branches ¾-inch in size. Not for live plant limbs since these essentially mash fresh material as they cut.
Slender, sharp garden shears that work for lighter pruning and smaller branches. Garden scissors and garden snips are great for light pruning, spot-snipping of smaller branches, and branch tips, and are great for deadheading! Pointed and narrow blades can easily get between tight spots, among flowers, branches, and twigs for precision cuts.
With an assisted action-cutting mechanism that lets you make cuts in stages. These are great for gardeners without as much hand strength or mobility issues. By cutting in steps, you reduce hand strain with these strength-boosting shears. For trimming larger branches around 1-2 inches.
With adjustable handles, these pruners are good trimming for shrubs and trees up to 2 inches thick. Allowing you to change up the length/height you are pruning at and saving you from reaching, stretching, or bending.
For clean, close cuts on live branches up to ½ - 1 ½ inches, these have blades like scissors that pass by each other. Often having a sharp blade and an unsharpened blade, they result in a nice sharp cut.
For tall trees and large shrubs 2 to 9 inches, Pole pruners often have a trigger or cord that you can pull to cut branches far overhead. Remember head and eye protection and watch for falling debris while using these tools. Many have a saw attachment as well for double-duty tree pruning.
With longer blades, Hedge pruners or loppers, are good for removing a clean, even swath of smaller plant material for a sheared look. Great for small jobs and not larger ones, these pruners work great on soft tender new growth on formal hedges, deadheading flowering shrubs like Spiraea, or shearing tender new growth on small shrubs during the growing season. And a great tool for cutting down old foliage on Ornamental Grasses and perennials in late winter or early spring before they start to grow in spring. For larger jobs, it’s best to get a powered trimmer.
Weeds are ever-present and weeding will be one of your most routine and mundane of garden tasks. There is a ton of options and each has a specific purpose. Available in short-handled and long-handled versions for a wide variety of mobility inclusiveness. Choosing higher-quality materials and keeping your tools clean, sharp, and sanitized will benefit you and your plants in the long run.
Used for tilling, cultivating, chopping, general garden soil moving, and scraping weeds off at the soil surface. These can be long or short-handled and are available in a wide variety of shapes - in fact, there are about 50 types of garden Hoes! Digging and tilling hoes move soil with a chopping action, Draw hoes for weeding with a pulling/scraping, Reciprocating hoes that move, weed with a forward/backward action, Flat hoes weed with a push-pull action, and Sweeping hoes that act using a sweeping motion. There are names like Cobra, Forks, Sporks, Swan Necked, Cape Cod, Winged, Hula, Grub, and Circle, so it can become confusing when trying to pick out the right one! Choose a strong handle and quality blade material, and again, keep it clean, oiled, and sharp.
Want to feel like you are on a jungle expedition and chop through weeds while letting out some aggression? From small pocket knives to Kukri and Hori Hori-styled blades, to full-on machetes, there is every combination of a hand trowel and knife for multi-purpose gardening, cutting, weeding, cutting twine, and digging.
Choose options that fit in a pocket or on a belt for easy retrieval. Others are great for planting, have a V or U-shape for digging, include measurements for depth when planting bulbs, and can even have serrated edges! Other weeding knives have an angled end for getting between pavers and gaps to root out weeds where they hide.
For anyone that has to often dig out lots of taproot-type weeds like Dandelions, Burdock, or young weed trees, these slender tools have a forked or pronged tip that cuts and pulls the weed
out root and all. Some larger versions have double handles and a pedal for you to step on for deeper/larger roots. Usually slender to get at deep weeds without disturbing your lawn and other plant roots in the process. There are of course long and short-handled versions!
There are tons of garden rakes available in an equally dizzying variety, but again, every tool has a purpose! There are wood, steel, fiberglass, bamboo, and plastic. Choosing the lightest weight best and highest quality you can get will make all the difference. Sometimes, the simple cleanup may be best done with a leaf blower!
There are specific shovels for each garden chore as well. Look for high-quality shafts, ergonomic grips, and a rugged collar and kick plate on the blade for the easiest use and no broken tools. Some of the major 12 types of shovels are -
Other garden and landscaping must-haves to keep you safe, and clean, and make light work of any garden chore!
After use, always remove excess dirt and moisture from your tools, you may need to pressure wash them clean after larger, muddier jobs. A putty knife scrapes off stubborn dirt. Sandpaper or steel wool keeps surfaces clean and removes dried-on clay and mud. Sharpen tools once a year - metal rasps and files or wet stones and grinders.
A bucket of oiled sand is a simple and straightforward way to maintain tools after use. Clean sand and some food-grade or WD-40-type oil mixed in a 5-gallon bucket. Stab shovels, pruners, and hand tools into the sand a few times to clean the blade and oil the mechanisms. This keeps them moving freely and stops rust in its tracks.
To sanitize your tools between cuts - dip or wipe them with a mixture of 1-part Chlorine Bleach and 9-parts water, or 70% isopropyl alcohol to wipe, dip or spray on your tools. Killing possible cross-contamination between affected parts and healthy tissue.
Which should you choose? At least one long-handled and a hand tool of each kind to start. Because their use involves blunt force removal of hard stems and branches, digging in the mud, and in near-constant contact with moisture - don’t skimp on these tools! Pay the money now the first time and you’ll get years of use instead of replacing them each year. Look for tools with a warranty and keep those receipts!
Also look for tools that are ergonomically designed, easy for you to use, and suited for the right job. Find a tool that is lightweight so you don’t get worn out just using it - heavy duty shouldn’t mean heavy! You will also want to choose a tool you can easily maintain. If a tool has all the bells and whistles, how much maintenance will it need? A well-maintained less-expensive tool will last as long as an expensive tool that is never taken care of.
Keep your tools sanitized, and keep them sharp for the best health of your plant! Look for tools that don’t have tons of parts or moving parts, you’ll save time looking for lost pieces or replacement parts.
Don’t fall for cheap tools or gimmicks on TV - choosing the right tools for the job and maintaining them will make or break your garden chore list (and your chiropractor will thank you). Tools that feel hefty without being heavy, feel well-made, and don’t feel flimsy or uncomfortable are important. Don’t feel silly about giving it a few swings in the store before you buy it.
Lastly, stay hydrated and break up chores into 10-15 minute intervals. Choosing the right tools for you and for the job is essential for your health, reducing stress on your body, and for the health of your plants and landscape, NatureHills.com is here to help you through every step of the way!
Happy Planting!