Gardens are a lot of work and give a lot of joy. You work hard so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor. But, if you don’t have the right tools, you might find that you’re working harder than you need to. Having the right tools helps you get things done faster and reduces extra strain on your body. Here are tools no gardener should ever be without.
Pruning Sheers
Pruning sheers are essential tools because you never want to let plants grow out of control. For example, fruit trees must be pruned for you to get a good yield from them. If you find that you don’t have much hand strength, you should consider getting ratcheting pruners. They help reduce the strain on your hands when pruning and help you easily cut through large branches.
Gloves
Whether picking up spiny cucumbers or trying to pull thorny blackberry bushes, you want to wear a good pair of gloves. The gloves you choose will depend mainly on what task you want to accomplish. You want gloves that are strong but that you can still maneuver easily in. Also, it’s actually safer to go without gloves than to wear a pair that is too big. They could slip off in the middle of a task, and you could get hurt.
Gloves that are made out of leather are most helpful if you deal with thorny bushes and weeds. However, a water-resistant fabric glove will be just fine for most other gardening tasks.
Garden Cart
Wheelbarrows are helpful, but they can still be hard to pick up and move when they’re full. Instead, choose a heavy duty garden cart. They are 4-wheeled carts that are pulled behind you with a handle. Many even have an option to lift the bucket of the cart to dump its contents. You want a cart that will hold up to being loaded up with all of your garden yields – think heavy potatoes or squash- as well as strong enough to transport bags of soil or mulch. To ensure that your cart doesn’t buckle under the weight, ensure that it has heavy duty wheels.
Hoe
No matter how much you prepare your garden, you’re going to end up with weeds, and a hoe could be a valuable tool. When choosing which hoe is best for you, consider what you want to use the hoe for. If you simply want to cut down the weeds, a stirrup hoe would probably be best. However, if you’re looking to turn the soil and dig up weeds, you’ll want something a bit stronger, such as a flat hoe.
