Tooling Around: All The Right Tools For Planting The Garden Of Your Dreams

Save to notebook Email article Print article More articles

By Mia Bolaris-Forget

Do-it-yourself gardening is much like do-it-yourself home repair; you MUST know what you’re doing. And, you also NEED to have the right equipment.

Experts suggest getting started by comparing weight and how the tool feels when you hold it, and when you attempt to maneuver it. They add that well-made tools are better balances and less cumbersome to use. Furthermore they note that well-made tools, while initially a bit more costly, generally last longer.

Pruners for light shrub and rose pruning, deadheading and cutting back perennials:

· Experts suggest bypass pruners featuring a curved blade that passes by a fixed base. They note this style is well noted for clean cuts and doesn’t pinch or tear stems. Look for a pair that fits and suits the size of your hands and feels comfortable. If you have wrists that are prone to injury or fatigue, look for a pruner with a rotating handle typically putting less pressure and stress on your hands as you cut.

· Further reduce stress and press on hands and wrists by investing in a pair of pruners featuring blades that are on an angle to the handles, making the handle feel like a “natural” extension of your hand, and making it easier to position the blade to cut more easily and accurately.

Spades, shovels, and forks:

· Seek out models with an all-steel blade construction that ends in solid (not hollow) shank where it fits into the handle. And, remember to buy for your weight and strength, noting that a bigger, heavy tool won’t be any more efficient if you can’t lift it to get the job done, or if it tires you out rather quickly and before you’re finished using it.

· Experts suggest long-handled shovels over short ones. The long ones offer a larger, more rounded blade, good for digging jobs, such as flowerbed preparation and making large holes for planting trees and shrubs. For edging and planting perennials, consider a short-handed spade. A short-handed fork, according to experts is handy for breaking up soil clods after digging.

Long Island Home & Lifestyle Articles > Tooling Around: All The Right Tools For Planting The Garden Of Your Dreams