It seems only appropriate this Father’s Day weekend to devote a gardening article to tools. Tools and Dads just seem to go together. Growing up in a family of tradesmen, I quickly learned the value of a good set of tools for the job. I now apply that to my gardening. Most gardeners have learned that solid durable garden tools save you time, headaches, and are an indispensable partner throughout the growing season. But entering the garden section of any retail store can make your head spin with selections. You don’t need a lot to start a garden, just some basics. Through the years, I have come to learn the importance of selecting a “few good tools” and caring for them properly. To help you make some good choices and wise long term investments I’d like to share some of my favorites. In today’s world of gardening you have two categories, hand tools and power.
Hand tools. Wikipedia defines the garden tool as “any one of many tools made for gardening and overlaps with the range of tools made for agriculture and horticulture.” These are inevitably the gardener’s most permanent and personal possessions. For general gardening you will need a shovel, hoe, rake and spading fork. The shovel should have a rounded edge to it. This is used for digging and planting your trees and shrubs. Rakes come in plastic, bamboo and metal. Choose the material you are most comfortable with. Generally I find the plastic rakes a durable choice for all-purpose use, a small one for the bedding area and wide one for the lawn. A sturdy hoe can be short-handled (the one I like to keep in my back pocket) or long handled. This is used for weeding and cultivating. A spading fork is a short-handled pitchfork with wider tines that is used to dig down and break up soil. It is a welcome addition to the shovel when transplanting.
The next type of hand tools you will need are those that provide the cutting services to keep your plants healthy and looking great. The hand pruner is a lightweight tool used for cutting small twigs. As a new Master Gardener, I was eager to buy myself a pair of the Felco brand and proudly display them in a leather sleeve on my belt. But I was disappointed in the workmanship after a few years and need to constantly replace parts. I have recently come to discover the benefits of the Stilh line of hand pruners. I spent some time at Allerdice one day reviewing the selections and the series properties. I found these pruners more compatible to my hand size. I don’t believe in the one size fits all mentality, and Stihl has options I find refreshing. The Stihl hand pruner I selected is able to cut twigs and some large branches, as well as offer me replaceable blades. Shears are those large scissor-looking cutting tools that are used for shaping shrubs. Choose a length that matches your arm and hand strength and grips that offer comfort. Loppers are the long handled version of the pruner. Look for the ones with telescoping handles. They offer you a better reach.
Proper care of your hand tools is just as important as your initial selection process. A sharp clean tool can save you time and keep your plants healthy. Cleaning and drying your tools between uses keeps them free of disease and rust. The edges of your shovels and cutting tools should also be sharp. I like to use a sharpening stone/fine metal file on the edges between uses. Clean sharp edges move through the material with ease and a clean cut. Applying a little lubricating oil, such as WD 40 to the metal surfaces before storing away, also protects your tools.
Power tools. Now for the POWER! Once again, you enter the garden center with unlimited selections and say, where do I start and what do I need. For some, the feel of that moving tool and smell of two-cycle mix can be intoxicating. Although a large portion of general gardening requires hand tools, I do concede to one to be the most versatile and valuable power tools, the Stilh MM55 Yard Boss. For some time I read the advertisements for this tool in my gardening and horticulture magazines. When Allerdice took on the Stihl line I was first in line to go over and check it out. This one tool meets my garden requirements for its lightweight, storage and transport features, power, use and most importantly, ability to multitask! The basic machine offers a quick release/removal system to change from cultivating, bed edging, lawn aeration, de-thatching and power sweeping. Have I covered all your garden chores? You bet! If you had one power tool investment for gardening, this is it. You can check these out at Allerdice Building Supply Saratoga Springs, Allerdice Express Saratoga Lake and Allerdice Hardware Milton.
Whether it be a hand or power tool for gardening, your property needs will dictate your selection. Comfort, size and complexity of use are the personal requirements that also factor into your choices. Whatever your needs, understand that selections abound in the retail market, but the savvy buyer will take these basic principles into the market before investing your hard earned dollars.
Sue Ann DuBois is a Master Gardener and partner to the husband-wife team of Chips Landscaping. She designs, constructs and maintains outdoor landscape and water garden features in Saratoga County. For more information visit: www.chipslandscaping.net.
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