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ken_adrian

NEWBIES: what are the basic tools

do we have anything better to do??? ... how about some teachable moments ...

WHAT ARE THE BASICS TOOLS A NEWBIE WOULD NEED ....

presume no budget ... i know there are 1000 tools they might need someday .... but lets just talk about the bare minimum ...

anyone inspired to start any other topics for newbies .... just do the caption like mine ....

anyway ...

the absolute primary is a SHOVEL .... had about 20 of them over the years .... my favorite for the last 13 years is a SEAR CRAFTSMAN fiberglass handle shovel .... break it.. return it.. go figure ... which i did only once.. and then realized that in breaking it.. i was using the wrong tool for the project.. and working WAYYY TTOOOO hard.. lol ... they do make saws for those roots. .. lol ...

AND DID YOU KNOW .. EVERY SHOVEL HAS ITS OWN ANGLE ... oops ... i find some nearly impossible to use... because of that angle ....

and let me be clear... buying cheap is NOT going to work out in the long run. .... and i learned that with tool #2 ...

PRUNING SHEARS .... i used to buy the $5 shears.. once or twice a year .... then one day 20 years ago.. invested heavily in a pair FELCO's .... saving hundreds of dollars ... and the difference is between cutting with fine cutlery and using a ruler to cut things.... the felco's can be taken completely apart.. cleaned.. and honed ...

start with a cheap pair .... but if the gardening bug really hits .. invest in good tools ...

the only other thing i can think of is a hand trowel .... and i will leave that to others ...

if i get enough replies/encouragement here.. i have ideas for other posts ....

GO NEWBIE GO!!!!!

ken

Comments (59)

  • Donna
    14 years ago

    Here's my list:

    Craftsman fiberglass handle shovel (I'm on number 4. I have the heaviest clay soil you ever saw. Entirely too heavy to till...) I have, but do not use, a sharp shooter and an English garden fork. The handles are too short for my tall frame. I use my good old yellow handled shovel for everything.

    Felco pruners (Amen to all comments above. Mine are probably fifteen years old and they are beautiful.)

    Pruning saw. So easy to use. Works on anything too big for my felcos.

    ERGONOMIC trowel. The difference between hand pain and no hand pain for me is my Corona trowel (carried at Lowe's). I have a big fat one and a long skinny one that is great for planting bulbs.

    A really good pitchfork for mulching. I got mine at a Farm Supply store many years ago. If I remember right, I paid $50 for it. Worth every single penny.

    A five gallon bucket: great for weeds, seeds, bulbs, tools, etc. FREE.

    A good tape measure, preferably one that has a hook to go on your pants pocket. For bedding plants, I know how long my trowel is, and how long it's blade is. This doubles as a measuring tool.

    A garden rake (especially if you plant seeds in the ground), and a high quality leaf rake. Quality is everything: the job is easier and faster, not to mention the savings over the long haul. Rakes that lose their handles every few pulls will make you cuss (and that's not nice. :)

    I don't suppose it's an absolute necessity, but I would sure hate to be without my wheelbarrow. NOT a contractor's size one, just a plain old standard one.

    And finally, I seem to use tin cans alot: for scooping fertilizer from the fifty pound bags I buy, for scattering same fertilizer, for dipping water out of holes that aren't draining.... Eat soup. Save cans. :)

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    forget the tape measure....

    one roll of masking tape... yard stick.. and your shovel ...

    wind tape around the shovel shaft at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 feet .. the top of the spade itself is usually 12 inches ....

    then you wont lose the measuring tape in the garden ...

    and OMG... how many hundreds i have spent on hoses ... just trust me here.. buy FLEXOGEN .... mine are going on 20 years.. and still look brand new .... link below..

    ken

    Here is a link that might be useful: link

  • mxk3 z5b_MI
    14 years ago

    Donna - sounds like you and I have the same shovel :0)

  • aliska12000
    14 years ago

    My grandmother saved seeds, brought them out in the spring and used a stick. I think the Indians did, too, but may have had a pointed shaped rock attached to a sturdy branch for both hoeing and cultivating.

    You can do a lot with just a trowel even a cheap one.

    I had about 5 different kinds of shovels but wanted the standard one, got chided for it, was $8 at Big Lots and it's the best, use it almost exclusively.

    You can ask for stuff on freecycle. I found a wonderful fork just the right size for me at Restore Habitat. Got along without a hoe for years but think I had a pointed hand cultivator and the curvy pronged thing from years ago. Finally got a hoe, use it some but not very often. If anything, I've accumulated too many tools.

    Buying a nice tiller was probably a mistake, hard on me and finicky with oil, a nuisance to drag out and change tines, useless on breaking sod unless you're into self torture, and just churns up a bunch of weed seeds, bounces and takes at least three passes to do it right especially if you're adding amendments to your soil. Then it's not fun to clean the tines and lose cotter pins.

    Look into lasagna gardening. Essentially it's throwing on pieces of cardboard to fit the size of the bed you want, pile yard clippings on it, leaves, seedless yard debris, top with soil. The part I'd have to look up is how soon you can plant and I don't understand what happens to the roots when they hit the cardboard which can't have decomposed fast enough.

    My other grandmother used a butcher knife, she was terribly crippled with arthritis, and I know there were other tools around. Somebody may have spaded for her at times. I have that knife but use a serrated, damaged one frequently. I've also used spoons.

    I've seen people clear and plant areas as they go, didn't think it would work but it did for one lady's whole terrace. Pull and dig out grass, plant, mulch, keep weed free then repeat nearby.

  • hostaholic2 z 4, MN
    14 years ago

    Amen to the Felco's and pruning saw. I finally bought a cutco trowel, don't have to worry about bending that...but...since I bought a hori-hori knife I no longer use the trowel. Ken, thanks for the link on the hose. I've been looking for something that wouldn't drive me to cussing everytime I used it.

  • conniemcghee
    14 years ago

    I have a few garden tools - not a huge collection, but quite a few. Still, I seem to use the same three or four things over and over.

    Shovels: A good hand trowel is what I use the most (almost every time I'm out there). The runner up is a tall shovel with a small "head" that is very lightweight. I don't have a lot of upper body strength, so this "baby" shovel is just right for me and doesn't wear me out just carrying it around. The next most useful shovel is a transplant shovel, which has a very long, narrow, square-ish head. This one is great for getting very deep to get underneath roots when moving shrubs. And all great gardeners move all their plants at least three times, right? :p (That's what I tell my husband anyway).

    I agree about the pruners, but I don't have a really nice pair and think that's what I'd like to add! I also like a pair of small sharp scissors for cutting back perennials or deadheading things that don't pop off readily with fingers. I have a big pair of loppers that I use for cutting off large branches.

  • terrene
    14 years ago

    Dittoing everybody else about buying quality tools. You will garden much more effectively and save money in the long run. Ken, it sounds like you need to stop using your shovels as a lever, hehe. Did that once years ago with a pitchfork (aka garden fork) and broke the handle.

    Here's the basics -

    1) Felco pruners #2 - mine are over 20 years old, have only had to sharpen and replace the spring

    2) Large shovel - new one is contractor's grade after literally tearing the metal apart on the previous one - although it did last about 20 years

    3) Japanese weeding knife - use this is a weeder and trowel

    4) Garden fork (I call this the "pitch fork" although a pitch fork has longer handle and tines)

    5) Wheel barrow or garden cart

    For me there is a long list of other essential gardening tools - rakes, spade, hoe, smaller shovels, assorted pruning saws, loppers, scissors for deadheading, watering cans, hoses, sprinklers, and probably others I am forgetting. :)

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    have we missed the most important tool??? forgive me if others mentioned it. ...

    it is what i call a breaker bar.. or watering wand ... link below

    it breaks the pressure of the water from the spigot ... i have no clue where i picked up that term.. because google surely doesnt understand it... lol ..

    which will lead to a whole other post.. go figure on that

    ken

    Here is a link that might be useful: link

  • aliska12000
    14 years ago

    My wand broke and I lost the guarantee, went back to the spray kind.

    I forgot to mention several years ago I bought 2 little shovels and 2 rakes for kids. None of the grandkids got interested so they just sat. Saw them at Walmart one day.

    When I started digging again, I was older and didn't know if I could do the heavier kind so I spaded at least three beds with the kid shovel. I didn't get as deep, but it worked well enough. I can now use the fork and regular shovel, got some strength back from working but couldn't keep up with a younger person.

    Somebody helped me and bent one of them, so you can't force them but the other one I've used for 4 years now. It's very handy for setting out plants that are too big for my bulb planter and faster than a trowel. Amazing the things you'll grab when you go out to do something.

    I forgot pruners too. I'd like that kind mentioned but expensive. I have a nice lopper, saw (the arched kind with the blade). Use those a lot. Also have a small electric chain saw.

    The kid rake has also come in handy several times in tight places.

    As I went along, I invested in a good drill with an augur, the augur I didn't get in tightly enough so it scared me, have to be careful.

    I forgot about hoses. And soaker hoses. Got those. That one at your link looks nice and would like a 100' one, but they look expensive.

    One shorter soaker hose has worked well, and I'd like to get the other going but need to have somebody at the hardware store cut down some hose so I don't have to have the drip all the way from the faucet to where the plants are.

    Also for the shorter hose, that problem was solved by a helpful guy at the hardware store found a laundry hose, perfect length. The drip doesn't start until it's in the garden. That has been immensely helpful because when it gets super hot, my stuff would wilt, don't have to worry so much now plus watering you should not do it in the sunlight, and I had to.

    Maybe I'll get a wand again but it's the cheap hoses that drive me nutz, don't have a reel and have to keep untangling them.

    Don't buy one of those dandelion weeders from Harriet Carter. It looked like it would be just the right thing but broke after just a few uses, and I'm not hard on things.

    We finally got rid of most of the nasty stuff in the grass with Weed 'n Feed then later an app of 24D? Then just spot treating with more Weed 'n Feed. I hated to go that route. There is supposed to be something better than Weed 'n Feed. I also paint with Roundup and tried boiling water won't use vinegar.

  • maozamom NE Ohio
    14 years ago

    Women- don't try to use your husbands shovel. If you do, you'll wear yourself out getting very little work done. Find one that is small enough for you. I know that can be hard to do, but be persistent. You'll be happy you did.

    You might be surprised just how handy a decent pair of kitchen shears can be.

    mao

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    14 years ago

    We finally got rid of most of the nasty stuff in the grass with Weed 'n Feed then later an app of 24D? Then just spot treating with more Weed 'n Feed. I hated to go that route. There is supposed to be something better than Weed 'n Feed. I also paint with Roundup and tried boiling water won't use vinegar.

    You'll go with the weed 'n feed, 2,4-D and RoundUp but you won't use vinegar....... what's up with that?

  • mxk3 z5b_MI
    14 years ago

    Mao - my shovel is bigger/longer than DH's. Again, goes back to personal fit and preference.

  • aliska12000
    14 years ago

    You'll go with the weed 'n feed, 2,4-D and RoundUp but you won't use vinegar....... what's up with that?

    Now that you ask me, I'm not sure but don't want to use it in the lawn and ruin the good stuff nearby. Might be good for cracks in the sidewalk.

    If you can convince me a good and effective way of using it without tediously painting it on stuff, I'd be willing to give it a try. Yes, I'll finish painting with the RU because it works, wasn't cheap, and want to use up what I have, got the mix yourself and neighbor uses the pre-mixed all the time, and he's mostly into total organic. Like does vinegar work on crabgrass patches? That's my next major problem to solve, and I don't want to use pre-emergent because it will stop the grass seed I sprinkled in the fall from germinating.

    Like would it work as well in my pump sprayer where I have to protect a plant, transplant another, and kill everything else and start over? And what strength? I guess if my apple mess won't acidfy the soil unless I have billions, maybe vinegar won't either.

  • Donna
    14 years ago

    Hey, Ken! I love your idea of marking feet on the shovel handle! Don't know why I never thought of that.

    You know, I would also recommend to newbies that if you want your gardening to be a "couples activity"...and it can be a wonderful way to spend time together....and it can be a wonderful way to fuss....Anyway, get duplicate tools for each other. Tools that fit each body type. You can't work together if you don't each have tools.

    I had to smile at mao's advice, which is absolutely true, but I may well be a much taller (5'9") woman than her husband. <:>

  • mxk3 z5b_MI
    14 years ago

    Donna - hey Donna....how many years have you been married? Just asking because, well, because if you're a newlywed your advice on couples activity doesn't count LOL! (no offense to anyone who likes to couples garden but seriously I want to be left *alone* out there!)

  • kentstar
    14 years ago

    My DH and I work together and we're both 47 years old! He has his veggie garden and I have my flower beds. We're both out there in the summer each doing work on both. But, we do race out there in the morning to see who gets to use the hose first! lol I don't have drip irrigation :(

    My most basic tools I wouldn't be without:
    Bypass Pruners (finally bought some Felco's #6 for this season)
    Metal rake
    Pointed end shovel
    A good metal trowel
    My trusty plastic wheelbarrow (although I would LOVE to get a flat bed cart like at A M Leonards, but I can't afford it YET lol)
    I also have a telescoping small 3 tined hoe that I wouldn't do without
    I have a "garden claw" that is pretty good too
    I have never tilled anything in my gardens and I have wonderful soil
    I just layer shredded oak leaves, mushroom compost or whatever I have on hand, over the beds, with fine pine bark for mulch twice a year, every year. I have loads of worms and each year it gets a little better to work.
    We have clay soil, which is nutrient rich, but not great for drainage, but as I said it is getting much better each year. I also have a few raised beds.
    I have just started with trying to make leaf mold which I will also top dress the beds with every year, or when the leaf mold is done.

  • whaas_5a
    14 years ago

    Looks like I need to get a Felco!...wow, how many options do they have!
    Those blades must be made of tungsten??
    Anyone recommend a particular model (most universal)?

    Past 3 years:

    - Broke 3 shovels
    - Went through 4 pruning shears
    - Went through 1 hedge shear
    - Went through 2 pruning saws
    - Bow saw is still good but replaced the blade 2x

    I keep 2 pruning shears on hand...one for doing the delicate pruning the other for pruning to the ground.

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    14 years ago

    Felco #2's are the standard. But if you do a lot of pruning or have smaller hands, I'd suggest the #6 or #7's with the rotating handle. The rotating handle reduces the stress on the wrist and hand muscles and you can prune all day without feeling the strain or aggravating carpal tunnel. I also have arthritis in my hands and so don't have much power in my grip, but these guys will cut through branches like butter.

    I've had my Felcos going on 20 years, have sharpened them countless times and replaced the blades once. Have used them on things that they were never intended for or branches larger than recommended without problems, not that I'd necessarily encourage this practice :-) My pruning saw of choice is also a Felco - same lifetime guarantee and easily replaceable parts.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    whass.. get rid of the bow saw.. that so 1900's .... link below .... folds into the handle.. and fits nicely in your back pocket .... i swear to God... 1 inch branch.. 3 swipes ... they are incredible ....

    i actually get generic ones from tractor supply for about half ... but i break them about every other year... the handle breaks ....

    put FELCO in the search box at amleo .... for a great overview of the types offered ... i have NEVER seen them on sale .... anywhere ....

    i really recommend that you go the closest yuppie high end nursery.. and TRY THEM FOR FIT .... and frankly ... buy them if the price is within shipping of online prices ....

    they have right handed.. left handed .... small.. med.. large.. etc .... and repair packages .... all the pieces are replaceable ...

    and i learned a trick for sharpening ....

    i have 8's .... which are perfect for a normal mans hand ...

    listen... if you are breaking your tools this frequently .. YOU ARE WORKING WAY TO HARD .... the right tool for the right job.. and work smart.. and your tools will last forever ..... practice really helps also ....

    good luck

    ken

    Here is a link that might be useful: amleo link

  • whaas_5a
    14 years ago

    I'm going to start with the 600 pruning saw...I've been least happy with that style of tool (previous purchases).

    Felco #2 will be my next purchase...I can't argue $50 for 20 yrs. I already spent $30 on the ones that are trash.

  • whaas_5a
    14 years ago

    Thats hilarious I just bought the #8 and 600 saw on amazon (least expensive).

    Defintely not a fan of the bow saw, worked well with cutting the bigger trees down...I don't own a chainsaw so my bow saw was my best friend taking down the Black Cherry to the left.

    Before, Black Cherry with borer and blight issues
    {{gwi:193558}}

    After...little Crusader Hawthorn went in its place...can't even see it, lol!
    {{gwi:193559}}

  • kentstar
    14 years ago

    I would have like the Felco #6cc, but that one is incredibly expensive. I saw one for $139! Too much for me, so I just went with #6. I wanted a left hander (yes, I'm a lefty), small hand kind, with the rotating handle, but couldn't get all those options.

  • maozamom NE Ohio
    14 years ago

    Donnab- My DH has 2 inches on you and he's six inches taller than me.

    mxks- We've been married 37 years and we still garden together. Planting and dividing lend themselves to shared work but we always weed at different times and I do all the deadheading. When edging I use the half-moon edger, he comes behind me with the shovel, and I empty the wheelbarrow.

    mao

  • whaas_5a
    14 years ago

    I've always looked at those half-moon edgers but never got one..always used a spade shovel.

    I have tons of edging to do this spring...is half-moon the way to go?

  • Donna
    14 years ago

    mao: Shame on me for stereotyping!

    mxk: my husband and I have been married for 35 years next June. He has been a truly good sport about my gardening obsession over the years. He once followed me around the gardens of Monticello for two hours holding an umbrella over me in a pouring rain and lightning storm. (We were only going to be there once!)

    He's as obsessed with his lawn as I am with my flowers, so we often garden together. Translation: out in the yard at the same time. Sometimes we even get close enough together to talk to each other! :) Seriously though, although I, too, enjoying gardening best alone, I am very glad he's interested. I love his company at botanical gardens and must-stop garden centers I spot from the highway on trips.

  • mxk3 z5b_MI
    14 years ago

    I'm going on 19 years this August.

    DH would rather undergo Chinese water torture than tour a botanical garden...

    He doesn't enjoy gardening, and I don't enjoy company while gardening, so it's a perfect arrangement.

    But, he does seem to enjoy the "manly" chores like digging big holes, digging beds, removing trees/bushes, climing up in trees with a chain saw. So I keep him around LOL!!

  • Marie Tulin
    14 years ago

    I had the same reaction to so many broken tools: wrong tools for the job.

    Yep, felcos are #1. Try using the rotating handle before buying. I found them ridiculous. I'm sorry, but I don't get the point, nor did my hand.

  • whaas_5a
    14 years ago

    From the sounds of it, these tools must be the cat's pajamas. Its January and I can't wait to use the 600!...I never felt like I was in control with the previous pruning saws I owned.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    how about revisiting some old posts..

    any new thoughts???

    ken

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    13 years ago

    I do love half moon edgers. I find them quick and easy.

    My favorite tool is my stainless steel trowel that has lasted for at least 6 years now, despite being left outside on a regular basis.

    I also use Felco hand pruners.

    Wouldn't be without a hand cart for moving heavy items, like large pots and bags of bark mulch etc.

    We get a LOT of use out of plastic 'milk cartons' They are really wider than the old milk cartons and were purchased from a nursery that was going out of business for $1. each.

    A water powered hose reel has been a 'real' solution to the hose lying all over the yard. Works great.

  • zaphod42
    13 years ago

    I use the CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator all the time. My husband thinks its useless, but I use it as an all-around tool.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Cobrahead

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    bumping this one up ...

    ken

  • gardenweed_z6a
    12 years ago

    ken - thanks for the bump. I'm definitely picking up a hand cart this year for moving bags of mulch. No more dragging them across the grass behind me or struggling to lift them into the bed of my pickup. I already have the razor saw & half-moon edger, good pruners & lopping shears, a spading fork & two sizes of square-edged garden spade, collapsible nylon barrels for leaves/garden debris and a half dozen pairs of comfortable, flexible, washable garden gloves.

    Someone on another forum posted that powdered laundry detergent will neutralize ticks in the lawn without harming the grass. With the early spring/unusually warm weather this year, word has it the ticks will be more numerous than they've been in past years. I picked up two jumbo boxes of PLD so I can sprinkle it as I work my way around the garden doing spring clean-up.

    A tick found its way up my leg last year and I decided to take whatever steps I could not to repeat the experience this year. I've got crushed eggshells I saved over the winter that I'll sprinkle around my perennials to keep the slugs from chowing on new growth.

    I can't claim to win every battle with the critters, pests & predators but I give it my best shot, as often as possible without using toxic chemicals or atomic weapons.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    well.. its that time of year again..

    to bump up some of the old posts...

    do you have any of them bookmarked??? ... feel free to bump the yourselves ...

    ken

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    anyone care to add anything to this one.. its been a few years

    ken

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    10 years ago

    I am gardening on raw land that is more limestone than anything. It is hard going. I NEED to use a pick ax to dig a hole anywhere. I like the heavy big ones. The weight makes it so it hits down hard without much of a swing. . I sharpen the ends. I also have a hand adze that has heavy 'fingers" on the other end. It is great for planting seed in the wild areas. On my big holes , I dream of getting a jack hammer. So far I call up a friend and he comes over and makes a nice 3.5' hole in a hurry. My land really is not friendly. I have a shovel for the raised vegetable . They don't work without the pick anywhere else. I like my hole shooter. I have a large Corona lopper for working with the mountain ash Juniper. I am quite ADD and dyslexic and a bit of a slob. I am hard on tools and I am always leaving them out. I believe in a critical mass of weeders and trowels. My land is not small and going looking for them is a drag so my solution is to have gobs.

  • moliep
    10 years ago

    These are the tools I use all the time in my garden.

    My Felcos. Had mine for 15 years... same pair... and wouldn't garden without them. Keep them clean and they'll last forever.

    One short-handled shovel .... with a rectangular blade and straight edges. Good for stepping down on (it has a little ledge for stepping on on top of the blade) and cutting into the edge of the garden. The blade cuts down about 7 or more inches. Then I pry up and lift out the clod and turn it over to dry. This tool gives me a nice crisp edging to my gardens.

    Two long-handled shovels for digging, transplanting, etc. We use two because we often have to go at the larger plants from several sides to get the roots... things like grasses we want to reduce in size, daylily clumps, etc.

    One large, wide-blade hand trowel with a ergonomic grip so my wrists don't ache.

    One narrow-blade hand trowel to plant or dig out things.

    An old... I mean 40 years or more ... metal wheelbarrow. Can haul rocks or stones (like to build with stones or use large ones in the garden) in that baby. She's getting rusty but still works.

    1 collapsable cloth, lightweight wheelbarrow my DH bought for me online. It's great for collecting weeds and dumping them in the compost.

    And my absolute favorite tool that I discussed once on the NE site.... Edie's Stabber. I've copied/pasted what I wrote about it in 2013 and included the photo.

    "I've inherited one of my mother's favorite garden tools, a dandelion pulling tool, affectionately called "Edie's Stabber." This thing has to be 50+ years old and is indispensable. I stab the dirt underneath the weeds. This loosens the soil ---- easy to pull out, especially if the ground is dry. I also use this tool to turn over the soil, especially near the base of plants where weeds are growing. The shaft is so narrow that it doesn't really lift a plant, just moves the dirt around. I'm showing a pic of Edie's Stabber because you can see it has a really long shaft. At our house, Edie's Stabber is the preferred gardening too."

    {{gwi:193560}}

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    10 years ago

    I like your "Stabber" I have about 6 of them hanging around under favorite rocks. I think I will start calling it that. If a handle rots, My husband turns me one out of wood on his laithe. They are good in dry soil and tenacious roots. I have one favorite tool, an old pruner that I grabbed at my grandmothers house when she died in 67. She and I would spend hours cutting flowers and arranging them. I leave it outside all the time. I loose it for 6 months and then it comes back to me. My other tools for hauling is my new 2 wheel wheelbarrow. It has large bicycle tires that goes over rocks and tree roots, down hills and arroyos. I steel my husbands furniture dolly for moving rocks and sacks.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    bumping this up.. since someone asked about hoses

    ken


  • sunnyborders
    8 years ago

    As gldno1 was quick to say, an (English-style) spade not a (Central European-style) shovel, at least with our growing conditions.

    I find long-wooden-handed trowels far more useful (including much easier to use) than those with short handles.

  • Nevermore44 - 6a
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Great thread to bring back.

    The best tool purchase I have ever made is an older WWII model military trencher shovel. It has the nice wooden handle for a good balance… the head has a bit of a lip so you can stomp down on it when needed like a standard shovel. And the best part is the head pivots forward 90 degrees so you can swing it like an axe one or two handed. You can bust through tree roots, get under and pop rocks out of the ground, plant a gallon plant in no time. I really don't use my trowel much any more. When planting trees in my horrible fill clay dirt yard….. If I am not forced to get the spud bar out…. I use this shovel … it cuts through the clay much quicker then a standard full shovel. I tried getting a modern version of a trench shovel at a surplus store… but they just aren't made the same…. . thinner metal…. composite shaft…… I broke it the first weekend.

    The other garden item I have ended up using a lot more then I thought I would is one of those garden totes. My dw tries to get gardening stuff for gifts every once in a while... And this is one of the few that I really use. Before as I poke around the garden… I would just cut over a 5 gallon bucket and carry all clippings/cutting/etc to the compost. Now with these light weight totes… I can make a lot less trips back and forth. And… since it collapses … it takes up no room in the garden when stored.

    The end.

  • WoodsTea 6a MO
    8 years ago

    Most used tools:

    • Hori-hori knife -- weeding taprooted things, cutting grasses, etc.

    • Felco F8 pruners

    • 10" rubber rake (Clarington Forge "Merlin") -- great for raking in beds

    • DeWit solid socket spork -- especially for dividing things

    • Hand trowel (DeWit)

    • Dutch push hoe (Sneeboer) -- for weeding things without a taproot

    I'm a pretty big fan of the Garden Tool Company -- without a doubt the best customer service of any online company I've ever ordered anything from. The tools are pricey, but I try to splurge on at least one new one a year.

  • callirhoe123
    8 years ago

    If you purchase this trowel, you will never need another. Mine's at 35 years and good as new. http://www.amleo.com/leonard-no-blistr-trowel/p/NBT/

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    another bump ... ken

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    I love my hori-hori knife. The handle finally split because I always leave it our. It is bound together with pink electrical tape now. The better to find it with.

  • S Rodriguez
    7 years ago

    I had been looking for something to tease roots. Found General Purpose Windshield Rubber Installation Tool on Amazon. It has a handle like a screwdriver and a pointy hooked end.

  • linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    My shovel with the special angled handle is the best. I have
    carpal tunnel syndrome as well. I’ve never seen it anywhere else. It’s bright
    green, so probably bought at Frank’s Nursery when those were still around.

    I bought an adaptive right angle handle that attaches to my trowel
    at The Chicago Botanic Garden kiosk in their garden for the disabled. I believe
    they no longer sell there, just show you the special tool and tell you where to buy
    them.

    I bought a serrated garden knife last year, because I was ordering from Lee Valley tools and wanted to meet the minimum for free shipping. It has a thin flexible stainless steel blade. Site suggested using it to cut those plastic pots apart when you’ve
    bought a root bound plant, and then to slice into the roots to break up the
    root ball. I’m using it all the time now. I used it to divide solid root balls
    on a really big plant right in the ground, too.

    Also have a hand held little circle hoe I bought on clearance
    when a local $$ nursery went out of business. I use that for ferreting out the
    unwanted seedlings under my perennials. The rounded shape means I don’t damage
    nearby stems of desirable plants.

    Japanese bonsai scissors for deadheading, stem cutting etc. It’s
    a big one, not a little one. Lost in the yard and rained on numerous times,
    still works great. Maybe it’s a different kind of steel.

  • Kathy Yata
    6 years ago

    I have to buy cheap Fiskar pruners as I lose them constantly. I love my newish Corona pruning saw. All those nasty bow saws are gone! Between the two are the loppers. Only on the second pair in 30 years. Handles are bolted to the working bit rather than fitted and riveted. Used to think loppers essential but maybe pruners and a saw I can handle are enough! I use cheap knives for cutting ornamental grasses, would a Japanese knife work better? Pruners are a pain with grass.

    My trowel is a pretty decent one cost $15 20 years ago, cannot bend it. I use a garden fork with a long handle and a tiny shovel with a long handle equally. Both essential. A garden rake and a leaf rake are essential for building beds and cleaning lawns and beds of leaves. I prefer the collapsing metal leaf rakes. Have a couple of those 'stabbers'. It failed to get out a baby agave this morning, will have another go tomorrow. Surprisingly useful, should have it out and visible anytime I'm digging/weeding but not essential for me. My scuffle hoe is great when weeding vegetable beds with young plants but I generally pick weeds by hand. I wouldn't consider one to be essential.

    Here a number of hoses are crucial tools. I rotate them through from front to back to vegetable garden as they bite the dust. /So hose splitters are essential, really need a couple hoses per bib! Most recent hose is a super heavy black rubber one that stays flexible even after cold water is run through so is a pleasure to put away but it's only a couple years old, no idea how well it will last. Other hoses last for decades. Be sure to buy the proper length. If you need 50' then don't buy 100'. I tried winders and hose pots but am looping on hangers these days. Since you can just wind around a good sized pot such things aren't essential purchases. Just tossed my ancient water wands and they won't be replaced and am using a freebie trigger water sprayer. Sometimes I think my thumb is better than those sprayers anyway. That plus an old sock tied to the end of the hose for a bubbler and I'm set. I gave up on commercial lawn sprinklers and built one with a standard lawn sprinkler head and PVC so I can have the half circle low throw that works best for me.

    Hands. Most important garden tool. Protect with some sort of gloves. I've decided cheap is best as I am wearing out the index fingers no matter how good the glove is supposed to be so buy a multi pack and toss as those fingers wear out. I use nitrile coated that more or less fit as sloppy gloves are annoying in the extreme.

    Lawn tools? Small lawns so a corded electric works fine. It replaced the manual reel that couldn't get through St. Augustine or cut rye flower stalks. Loved that mower but it couldn't do the job so bye bye. A strimmer is in the garage but hasn't been used for years as I use my hands to pull stray runners because St. Augustine will build up a regular dike if trimmed flush with paving. Loved it on Bermuda grass though. A corded electric blower is essential. Sweeping will only get you so far on door mats and blowing works better around pots on patios too.

    The wheelbarrow was taken apart this week. I hadn't used it for years. Okay the wheel was flat and too small but I really didn't miss it. When I need to move heavy bags I turn them end over end or use a furniture mover. Haven't moved loose stuff since we got rid of the truck and would get a two wheeled cart if I need to move such stuff. Home Depot has an incredible deal annually on a small one by Ames but I resisted. This year. I think a hand truck would be better than a furniture mover but that's what I've got. I use a concrete mixing trough more than the wheelbarrow for mixing as it's more stable. Was bought as a dog wading pool so multipurpose.

    A tool rack is useful too. Couple years ago I made one from large PVC fittings I've been hoarding that resembles this Never enough wall space and leaning things makes for a tangle. This sort of thing keeps things straight and untangled for the first time since I started outdoor gardening.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    someone was asking about edging tools ... ken

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