Garden Tools Are an Essential Part of a Gardener's Must-Have List

Garden tools are an essential part of a gardener's must-have list. Nothing is more frustrating than facing a task and having to run out and buy the tool you need to continue. Even if you're just starting to garden, think of your garden tools as an investment in your gardening future. Hand Tools You'll Need 1 - Hand Fork - straight narrow set of tines that work well between rows, loosening soil and grabbing weeds by the roots. Get two and you'll find that a pair of straight tines makes dividing clumps of plants becomes a snap. 2 - Hand Trowel - pointed to make it easy to dig small holes, scooping seedlings from a pot, moving and smoothing soil around. Some trowels have ruler measures on their blades to help you see planting depths. Hand trowels vary in width and handle length. 3 - Cultivator - angled tines claw through hardened soil and work as an aerator, form row furrows and grab onto small weeds. Better than using your hands, and much easier on a manicure than clawing through the dirt with your fingers. 4 - Hand Sieve - very helpful to sift out pebbles, rocks, clumps from potting soil and to gently cover potted seeds with compost and dirt. The mesh is bigger than a kitchen sieve so it's not a direct replacement. 5 - Hand Weeder - sharp curving edge maneuvers easily between plants and pull weeds out by their roots, scraping free clumps of weeds. This looks a lot like the tool stables use to clean out horses' hooves. 6 - Soil Scoop - deeply curved to hold much more than a handful of compost or potting soil, ideal for filling planters, pots, containers. Grab this when it's time to spread the mulch around your outdoor garden's residents. 7 - Hori Hori Knife - from the Japanese for "dig dig," this knife is designed to dig, saw, weed, shovel, transplant and more. The serrated edge is perfect for taking off small branches. 8 - Hand Pruner - snips that you'll reach for every day for pruning and deadheading. Blades come in a range of shapes, sizes and angles. Garden Tools That Help You Reach 9 - Long-handled Spade - a squared off head that's narrower and longer than a shovel gives an easy straight cutting edge. It's the tool of choice for trenching, removing rocks, even outlining garden beds. 10 - Long-handled Fork - slightly curved tines make it easy to grab and move a stack of hay, straw or weeds, or lift a clump of pruning into a wheelbarrow. Reach for this when it's time to turn the compost. Bottom Line Start out with good quality tools and you'll find you won't be replacing them each season. Keep your garden tools clean and stored near where they'll be used the most, and they'll repay you with years of reliable service. Source: examiner