The most necessary garden tools

The most necessary garden tools

Completing the necessary tools is a fairly simple task. Garden shears, rakes, spades, purchase of saws, lawn mowers or shovels – these accessories are available immediately in every DIY store. To make them even easier, let’s divide all accessories according to their suitability.

Garden tools for digging, loosening and raking

Before buying these tools, let’s pay attention to the type of soil in our garden. If there is light, permeable soil on the property, then we do not need to invest in top-shelf tools. Light, slightly cheaper gardening tools are sufficient for us. However, digging and loosening clay or heavy soil requires more massive tools. In this case, it is worth investing in slightly heavier and more resistant products that will be adapted to work in more difficult soil conditions.

Rakes – the manufacturers’ offers include various types of these tools. For leveling and raking light soil, ordinary rakes made of durable plastic are enough for us. However, for heavier soils, metal rakes (necessarily with thicker teeth) will be a better solution. The manufacturers’ offers also include special leaf rakes. It is an economical alternative to blowers and vacuum cleaners. Leaf rakes have greater width and more flexible teeth. Thanks to this, leaf collection is further facilitated. This solution works well for small garden arrangements. However, raking by hand in large spaces would be too time consuming.

Spade, shovel and forks are irreplaceable tools for digging and moving soil. Certainly they will be useful in any garden arrangement. For light soils, an ordinary metal spade is enough for us, a shovel and light forks with permanent teeth. For work in more difficult terrain, it is better to choose American models. Both the spade, forks and American shovel have effectively profiled handles and a reinforced plate girder. Their shafts are made of durable and light materials. Thanks to their low weight and contoured shapes, American tools provide more comfortable work.

Hoe – useful for loosening the soil, removing weeds and crushing larger clods of soil. Is an irreplaceable tool if you plan to arrange flower beds. The hoe can have two to four teeth. Manufacturers’ offers include two types of these products. The first is the so-called classic hoe. We recognize it by its longer handle and larger sizes. Its purchase is a good solution if we want to dig or loosen a larger area of land. The second type is a typical hoe. It has a short handle and smaller, closer set blades. It works well for precise digging in and loosening small flower beds. Unfortunately, its use on larger areas will be very time consuming and uncomfortable.

Rotary tillers – they are used for loosening the soil in larger areas. They are recommended for use on heavy soils. They can have internal combustion or electric drive. Rotary tillers are useful when setting up a garden. However, later we will use them sporadically (maximum once a year if we plan to grow). That is why it is worth considering renting this device.

Garden tools and accessories for mowing and trimming

Lawn mower – Lawn can be an effective decoration of any garden, however it requires regular mowing. Lawn care is not a simple matter. That is why a good mower is another indispensable garden tool. The manufacturers’ offers include a huge selection of mowers. A hand-held drum mower is the cheapest solution. The approximate cutting width is 30 cm. This type of device works well on an even and small lawn (up to 50 m2). However, for larger or less aligned areas, it is worth buying more advanced mowers. We can choose:

• Electric mowers – they are quite light, manoeuvrable and easy to use. Their engine power rarely exceeds 1,700 W. The electric mower is good at mowing small lawns. Thanks to their maneuverability, they become an irreplaceable piece of equipment for allotments with irregularly shaped lawns. One of the difficulties is the need for access to electricity. Electric garden mowers must be connected with a long cable, which can reduce the comfort of use. Certainly it is not a solution dedicated to large garden spaces.
• Petrol lawn mowers – are great for places without access to electricity. They can have larger sizes and high engine power. This makes them ideal for mowing grass in larger areas. The lawn mower can have additional functions such as drive, grass chopper, etc.

Grass trimmers – it will be useful wherever a mower can not. The task of the grass trimmer will be cutting grass around the beds, trees, buildings and the fence. The commercial offers include electric and combustion products (usually much stronger). The cutting element of the trimmer can be a fishing line or a disc.

Garden tools and accessories for care

Hedge shears – the cheapest are hand tools that work well for precise trimming of small shrubs. Manual hedge trimmers can have different sizes, it is worth choosing them according to your needs. Working with a smaller tool will be time consuming but also more precise. For larger hedges, a petrol or electric hedge trimmer works better. Such devices have cutting guides (up to 80 cm long). Their biggest advantage is to facilitate and significantly speed up the work. Better-quality petrol scissors also have special overlays taking the branches and rotary heads.

Cordless hedge trimmers or saws are also an interesting solution. It is a solution that works great in areas without electricity. The battery allows continuous operation up to 1.5 hours. During this time, we will be able to trim a fairly large area of ​​the hedge.

Secateurs – designed for cutting shoots. In gardening stores you will find one-handed and two-handed pruning shears. One-handed tools are suitable for trimming smaller shoots and stems up to 1.5 cm thick. Two-handed secateurs are much larger and more massive. They can have an additional toothed gear that allows pruning branches up to 6 cm thick.

Garden irrigation tools – the simplest solution will be a regular garden hose connected to an external tap. Manufacturers’ offers also include a whole range of sprinklers and automatic irrigation systems. The choice of the right tool depends only on the wealth of our portfolio, preferences and the specifics of garden plants.

Watering can – useful for watering plants whose stems and leaves cannot be covered with a stream of cold water from a garden hose. The stores have watering cans of various capacities. Let’s match them to our own strength. Larger watering cans allow faster watering, but carrying a dozen liters of water may not be comfortable.

Does the quality of garden tools matter?

Yes of course. When buying garden tools, it is worth paying attention to the material from which they were made. The best shovel or shovel used to have wooden, straight handles. However, nowadays wood is no longer the best material. Contemporary, better-quality tools are created from modern materials (such as carbon fiber). The purchase of fiber tools ensures greater durability and increases the comfort of gardening.

Before buying a specific tool, it is also worth checking whether its size is well suited to the growth of the future user. This is especially important for tools such as rakes, shovels, a hoe and a shovel. Digging the earth requires us to use force. That is why it is worth taking care of your own comfort during gardening works. Some tools, such as manual hedge trimmers, may have adjustable handle lengths. For many users it will be a convenient solution that will significantly improve the care work.