|
|
Cooperative Extension Service |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Agricultural
Experiment Station |
|
|
|
|
|
Arbor Day
Links
Dale Bumpers College
|
Gardening Gadgets and ToolsTalk to any gardener and they will quickly tell you what gardening tool they couldn't live without. Whether it is the workhorse power tiller to the smaller Mantis tiller, or their favorite hoe or shovel, the right tool makes the job easier and more enjoyable. New tools are constantly appearing in the market, and for some the temptation is just too great to resist. What makes a garden tool special? It might be the size, the weight, or just how well it fits your hands. Tool companies have been listening and they now have different handle lengths, softer grips and smaller sizes if you have small hands. Look at how the tool is made, what it is made from and the design of the tool--all important factors when buying new tools. Ergonomically designed tools, kneelers and benches are coming out in increasing numbers as our gardening public ages. Price is always a consideration, but buy the best you can afford. Cheap tools often break quickly and so you end up buying more, which in the long run is not economical. How you take care of your tools, will also determine how long they last. From must have essential gardening gadgets and tools to those that are fun to use or one of those impulse buys, here is an overview of what is out there.
Ergonomic Tools
Ergonomic tools have taken the gardening world by storm. As we all get older, we are looking at tools to make the job still enjoyable. There is a series of tools called Radius which come in a stainless steel Pro set or the Pro Lite set which has a fiberglass handle and is light weight. Both feature a large "O" shaped handle. The O handle gives you 4 times the gripping surface and room for both hands. Their hand tools have a bright green curved handle which provides more leverage with less wrist stress. The aluminum blade is surprisingly light yet remarkably strong! The Oxo brand that many of us are familiar with in the kitchen, also has a line of gardening hand tools with soft, non slip handles. The Powergear line of pruners from Fiskars are designed to minimize muscle strain and are great for gardeners with limited grip strength. When designing their power gear tools their goal was to increase power, reduce effort and minimize weight. Their solution was a gear mechanism that provides maximum leverage near the middle of the pruning cut, when resistance is the greatest. That means a more compact tool can cut with less effort required by larger single-pivot tools. They have both hand pruners and loppers and have been endorsed by the Arthritis Foundation for ease of use.
Hoes
Weeds are a fact of life in a garden and the main tool used in weeding is the hoe. Hoes come in a variety of handle lengths, and the blade design goes from the circle hoe with a round blade to the triangular blades of the winged weeder to square, V-shaped, and bar-shaped. What is the main job you need a hoe for? That will help you make the decision on which one to buy. The handles are either 54 or 60 inches long. There are handheld versions with 12 inch handles for small jobs. The key to a hoe is to keep it clean and sharp. When weeding a garden it is best to cut the weeds off right below the soil surface. If you till the garden to control weeds, you actually encourage more weeds by bringing up weed seeds from further down. My straight edged hoe cuts the weeds off cleanly and then mulching keeps them in check. There are lots of different brand names and many gardeners have their favorites. The Rogue Hoe brand is made from recycled agricultural disc blades and they really do stay sharp. Our Master Gardener advisory board got hooked on them and now sell them at gardening events statewide. Hoes can be used to weed the garden, dig trenches, work the soil and push or pull mulch. They are one of the most versatile tools for your garden, and you have lots to choose from.
Shovels Every gardener must have at least one shovel in their arsenal. But which one is best? There are rounded blades, square blades, narrow and wide. A square shovel has less cutting power than the round ones and is usually used for scooping or removing materials. The rounded blade is the best for digging. Handle length varies as does the material they are made from. Some prefer wooden handles, while others like the feel of fiberglass. Stainless steel blades won't rust like traditional metal shovels, but they do cost more. Look to see how the blade is attached. It is best to choose garden tools with forged metal that wrap all the way around the handle or one that has strips of forged metal bolted onto the handle. This gives more strength and durability to the shovel and prevents it from snapping off in our tough soils. Some prefer to use a garden fork, and yet others have to resort to a pick axe to even touch their rocky soil. Hand held bulb planters usually snap off in our hard, rocky soils, but come in handy once the soil has been tilled and readied for planting.
Pruning tools Pruning season is just around the corner, and again we have plenty of options. Make sure the tool you choose fits the job you are doing. Hand held pruners are great for smaller twigs, but larger branches will require a lopper or hand saw. Really big jobs call for a chain saw. Always use caution when using power tools. When you go to buy pruning shears you will see bypass, anvil and ratcheting types. What's the difference? Bypass pruners typically give you a cleaner cut as they have two sharp blades which cross each other, and they cut more like scissors. Usually the upper blade curves past the lower blade. With anvil pruners the blade is usually flat and one side is sharp and the other side is the flattened anvil side. Cuts from anvil pruners are not as clean and won't heal as quickly. Ratcheting blades are usually similar to anvil pruners but the ratchet mechanism provides more leverage than the other types of hand pruners. This comes in handy if you don't have a lot of strength. Keep in mind that hand held pruners should only be used on small twigs—about the size of a pencil. Larger twigs should be handled with a lopper. If the head of the lopper doesn't fit the branch, then pull out the pruning saw. Remember, a nice clean wound is the best practice you can follow.
Raking When fall leaves begin to fall, raking becomes a huge chore. There are plenty of tools to make this task easier as well. Trying to get leaves from the ground into your trash bags has always been a chore. We all have had issues trying to fill the leaf bags with one hand and holding the rake and leaves with the other, so here is a solution. Snap Bagger is a unique tool where a large yard bag fits onto what looks like a rake. It can either hold the bag open while you rake leaves in, or it can be used in one fell swoop to rake and bag. Another similar idea is the Leaf Loader which allows you to fill the heavy duty bendable tarp and easily dump it into your bag or trash can. Adjustable head rakes allow you to change the size of the head to rake in flower beds or small areas. I even own a rock rake that helps rake the multitude of rocks out of my soil as I am digging. And to increase your lifting area, try the leaf or lawn claws which aid it picking up large amounts of leaves at one time. If nuts seem to be your biggest challenge to rake up, try the Garden Wizard. They come in a variety of sizes from small to extra large to pick up acorns to black walnuts. The easy to use tool rolls along and picks up the nuts then you can dump them into a bucket or trash can.
Rain Barrels
People are looking for ways to save money, and after last summer's drought, storing rainwater to use in watering the garden seems like a no-brainer. Rain barrels are popping up at garden centers and hardware stores nationwide. You can make your own or buy one of the many systems on the market. When setting them up near your downspouts make sure you have some diversion system in place to allow the water to run through your gutters when your barrels or full or divert the water to another rain barrel. Some rain barrels come with a water diverter kit, such as Fiskar's Rain Barrel System which automatically channels water from the gutter downspout to the barrel. When your rain barrel is full, the rainwater continues through the downspout where it will then drain away from your house, preventing it from seeping into your foundation. You can also attach a Save the Rain device which you open when you want the water to go into your barrel, and close when the barrel is full. There are other products on the market as well.
Lawn Mowers Lawn Mowers - Push-type non-motorized reel mowers are making a comeback and rechargeable electric mowers are increasingly popular. The downside to the old electric mowers was that you had to drag a cord with the mower, and often times the yard was too big, or you would run over the cord. Today's electric mowers have rechargeable batteries, and one charge is enough to mow most standard sized yards. Easy start with a key or the push of a button, also makes them easy to use.
By Janet Carson The information given herein is supplied with the understanding that no discrimination and no endorsement by the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture is implied or intended.
|
|
© 2006 |
|
|
University of Arkansas • Division of Agriculture |
Mission
•
Disclaimer
•
EEO
•
|
