Robert Benchley, a late 1800s writer once said, “In preparing the soil for planting, you will need several tools. Dynamite would be a beautiful thing to use, but it would have a tendency to get the dirt into the front hall and track[ed] up the stairs.”
Frustrated gardeners tempted to try Mr. Benchley’s approach may need to evaluate their selection of gardening tools. Using the correct tool with the correct design and construction can make the difference in a pastime and passing out.
The old saying, “you get what you pay for” holds true for gardening tools. Not only will a high-quality tool get the job done easier, but it will also get it done quicker. Premium implements can last a lifetime if cared for properly and will be more of a bargain than those that need to be replaced every few years.
Handles of tools are typically constructed from four things: wood, fiberglass, steel and aluminum. A wooden handle should not have any knots or flaws. Handles that have been painted should be avoided since the paint is usually there to cover imperfections. A wooden handle that has been seal-coated to keep out moisture makes for a longer-lasting tool. Ash and hickory both are suitable types of woods for tool handles; hickory is just as strong as ash but a bit heavier. Fiberglass is as much as 40 percent stronger than wood, but like steel and aluminum, is less shock absorbent than wood.
Handles should also fit the person using them. They should be easy to grip and short enough not to be awkward to use, yet long enough to be used without stooping.
Several types of steel are usually used to create the blade of the tool. Foraged steel is often stronger, but is about twice as expensive as stamped or laser-cut steel. High-carbon steel blades are typically easier to sharpen than stainless steel; however, stainless steel blades will not rust.
Construction of the tool is important, but having the right tool is most important. Several implements that no gardener should be without are hand pruners, lopping shears, hedge shears, hoes, rakes and shovels.
The two types of common hand pruners are anvil pruners, which are used to prune woody stems, and bypass pruners used for cutting softer stems. Both will cut stems up to ¾ inch diameter.
Lopping shears are also available in both the anvil and the bypass form. However, these tools are ideal for cutting branches up to 1½ inches in diameter. More heavy-duty types are also made for cutting even larger branches.
Hedge shears come in manual, electric and gas models, and are appropriate for trimming shrub stems up to ½ inch in diameter. Blades with serrated or notched edges also help to prevent stems from slipping while being trimmed.
Hoes are suitable for minor digging, such as with weeding or relocating plants. These can be found in a variety of widths for performing different tasks. Light weight hoes, or those with narrow blades, are designed for weeding; heavier hoes, or those with deeper blades, are made for moving soil in activities such as building raised beds. Sometimes these heavier hoes are called grubbing hoes. Remember the rules of the construction of the handle and the blade.
Rakes also come in a variety of styles. For raking leaves or clippings, a yard broom with long flexible spines is best. For larger scale jobs, use an oversized landscaper’s rake. For leveling soil after planting, a flattop, rigid rake works best. Here too, the quality of the handle should be kept in mind.
Shovels are the workhorses of gardening tools. A round, long-handled shovel is the most common variation. A garden shovel is similar but has a slightly shorter handle. A trowel is a smaller version of a shovel and is used in smaller-scaled jobs, such as home gardening. A square-end spade is designed for edging. Shovels with D handles allow for legwork in addition to arm work and are suitable for more heavy-duty tasks.
With these six basic, yet good-quality tools, gardening does not have to be quite such hard work and can actually be enjoyable. Perhaps if the late 1800s novelist Charles Dudley Warner had used the correct gardening tools, he would have not said, “What a man needs in gardening is a cast-iron back, with a hinge in it.”
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| Pruners | Loppers | Hedge Shears |
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