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Top 12 Hand Tools for Gardening

Top 12 Hand Tools For Gardening
Top 12 Hand Tools For Gardening

The work in the garden may be different. Therefore, it is not enough to have a shovel and a small trowel. For those who are not yet familiar with the joys of gardening activities, it is worth knowing which toolbox to buy. Experienced gardeners name 12 items without which it would be impossible to carry out the necessary work. Let RunSun work with us to list 12 tools for gardening in order.

Shovel

The shovel is one of the oldest and most indispensable tools. Equipment similar to what exists today existed as early as ancient Rome. What are shovels made of: Bayonets were made of wood, bone (from shovels), moose antlers, and other materials. Some ancient examples were one-piece with handles.

Wooden examples with iron edges on the bayonet were used until the twentieth century.

There were, of course, other variations. Most have been modified: materials have been replaced by stronger and more durable ones, and shapes have been improved. In particular, the pallets have become all-metal. As a result of this evolution in gardening tools, the 21st-century grower can purchase a spade.

A bayonet – for digging deep holes and trenches (the Dacha needed it to grow potatoes, trees, etc.)

A spade – for handling sand, compost, sawdust, and other loose materials (the side of the spade prevents the contents from spilling).

Gardening – for digging and transporting soil (it is a hybrid of the first two types, with a slightly arched tray and a handy cutter).

Stone type – for picking up and gently spreading loose material (the heart-shaped leaf shape makes it easy to pick up, for example, sawdust, and sprinkle it on the ground around plants).

Snow plow – for quickly removing snow and ice from the road.

Gardeners should definitely get two shovels: a garden shovel and a snow shovel. All other items may come in handy, but many growers can manage without them.

RunSun offers a professional customization service for gardening supplies, including gardening tools, watering cans, pots, plant lights, and other gardening supply lines.

Rake

Rake – This tool is second only to the shovel in terms of both importance and its location in the barn. Prior to digging, the soil is cleared of leaves and dry grass. After digging, the soil is leveled and large clods are broken up. Both tasks require a rake. But the type is slightly different.

Here, as with shovels, there are several types of rakes that Dacha farmers should purchase. Among them, there are hand-cranked rakes.

The universal (garden) rake is a T-shaped product used to break up large clods of soil left after digging. They are used to loosen and level the soil in the spring before planting and after harvest to prepare it for winter.

Aeration harrows are similar to T-shaped harrows, but differ from all other harrows in that their tines are wide and widely spaced. The teeth of the rake aerator itself are long and claw-like. The tool is used to make holes in the soil and then to enrich the soil with oxygen through these holes.

A hay rake is a straight rake with a long skeleton and short, widely spaced spikes (7-9 pieces). This is useful for collecting grass clippings and harvesting hay by hand (if you have one).

The fan rake is completely different from the previous type. There are many tiny tines arranged in an open fan shape. The number of teeth varies from 6 to 69. Rakes are used for cleaning. For example, to remove leaves or maintain the lawn. The tool is suitable for gentle work.

Small hand rakes are small counterparts of fan and straight rakes. They are 10-15 cm long and have no more than 10 spines. They can be used in small areas, for example for loosening flower beds or leveling beds in greenhouses. Some people refer to hand rakes as furrow openers and planting forks.

Tiller Machine and Loosener

Many people associate the word “tiller” with large machines. And this is usually true. Electric or gasoline-powered machines have become very popular recently because they work fast on the ground. But it doesn’t make sense to buy them for a small vegetable garden. So let’s talk about hand-operated tillers and openers for working in small areas.

Manual models can be used for loosening or hoeing the soil, as well as for weed removal. The range of applications varies slightly depending on the type of hand tiller/plow.

A chain-wheel tiller is a shaft with a star-like tine disc. The latter determines the working width. The model is usually equipped with a handy blade for weed removal. The machine is effective when dealing with raised-bed cucumbers or soaked potatoes. It is also suitable for loosening soft soil under conifers in flower beds or lawns.

The flat cutter is a product with a thin blade and is best suited for tilling the soil surface, weeding, and making furrows for planting dill, lettuce, and other small seed crops.

Tiller is a tool with curved, sharp tines (up to five blades). It is suitable for compacted and dry soils: it breaks up clumps very well. Some models are supplemented with a “petal”.

Weeder or Weed Removal Root

Some weeds are so deeply rooted in the ground that no-tiller or hoe can do the job. In order to deal with them, you must supplement your gardening toolbox with a root puller.

The most common type is the fork. The name comes from the tip, which looks like a fork with two angles. Some people also say that its shape resembles the British V. The tool can be used to grab individual roots and uproot them. The root puller has a long handle so that even the “toughest” weeds can be removed.

The second most popular shape is the spade. It resembles a shovel, only very slender and tapered. The tip can be forked, cut in a straight line, or sharpened. It works on the same principle as the previous type.

The Weeder is an uncommon form but is quite effective for growing weeds. It looks like a spring/screw. To remove weeds, you need to screw the device under the plant and pull it back.

Garden Trowel

A garden trowel is an indispensable tool for plowing and planting. It resembles a miniature spade. Only instead of a square shape, it is leaf-shaped, with a gentle curve around the edge to prevent the contents from spilling out.

Garden spades do not have individual varieties that differ greatly from the original form. Bayonets can only vary slightly. And the use of the tool is played mainly by the material it is made of.

Garden spades should always be made of stainless steel or carbon steel. A strong connection between the handle and the tip is important. Gardeners often leave the tip on the ground during their hard work and are disappointed to see the handle come off in their hands. Therefore, if you need to purchase a spade, you should prefer an all-metal product or a model with an overlapping/penetrating handle (these go through the handle).

Pliers

To prune an apple tree or shape an overgrown tall shrub, it is worth buying a pair of shears. The truth is that it is difficult to reach the cutting point with a trimmer. In addition, it is not always possible to reach the branches with a ladder. Therefore, the safest option for such work is a pruner.

This tool is designed to allow one to take care of the canopy of tall plants right from the ground. A gardener who buys a pruner will not have to constantly move the ladder from one place to another.

The tool is divided into two types according to its working principle.

Flat pruners. They work in the same way as ordinary shears. The product has two sharp blades that help the gardener make neat, even cuts. The blades are available in straight, curved, and combined shapes (a straight blade and a hook-shaped curved blade). The latter variant provides the best security for branching. Other blades may slip out of position. It is a flat shear purchased for pruning “live” plants. The wound heals quickly after a smooth cut.

These tools work more like an axe. The whole structure is a special thrust plate and a movable knife sharpened on both sides. It is easier to make a cut with this tool than with a flat tool. However, the quality of the cut is poorer. Therefore, gardeners are recommended to buy such a pruner, which is used exclusively for dry branches.

Labels and Markers

Without signs, markers, and other indicative items, it’s easy to get lost on your own land at a moment’s notice. And such problems can lead to a cascade of trouble.

For example, the hostess keeps roses. She already has about 20-30 different varieties, each of which requires different care: some need to be fertilized at a specific time, and others are strictly not recommended. And let’s assume that the period is spring. The buds on the plant have just opened and there is not a single bud yet. In this case, how do I know what to call someone? And then there is the question of who to fertilize and what kind of fertilizer to apply?

Signs and labels are needed everywhere and at all times: in the greenhouse, in the green bed, in the flower bed, etc. However, signing should not be done on any cardboard. This material quickly becomes soggy.

For plants in the open air, it is best to purchase metal plaques. These will withstand the ravages of all seasons. And in the warmer months, when the beds and bedding are already in the light and not under the covering material, you can purchase wooden signs.

Another resistant material is slate (Slate). The thin, black patches are strong, resist moisture, and are beautiful in their own right. However, it is important to note that such a set is not cheap.

Prices of metal, wood, and other plant signs/labels come in handy here.

Gardening knives and shears

For most pruning work, use pruning shears, and for grafting, use regular knives. But these tools can leave rough marks. Therefore, when it comes to tricky tasks, you need garden knives and shears.

Knives are used for neat and light cutting or grafting. Therefore there are two types: pruning knives and grafting knives.

The first type is needed for pruning live and diseased wood (but not dry wood), fine branches, and also fruit. It can also be used to remove bark from wounds and to remove unwanted young shoots. It is also suitable for removing thorns, cutting flowers from flower beds, and preparing cuttings for grafting.

Grafting knives are more specialized. They are divided into 3 types.

Crossing – for grafting cuttings.

Grafting – for grafting individual buds borrowed from cuttings of another species.

Combined – for all of the above tasks.

A crafting knife is worth buying only for enthusiastic growers who want to seriously grow, experiment, and even develop their own varieties. For simple tasks in the garden, a pruning knife will suffice. You can find more information about this species in the catalog.

Garden shears are divided into many types. And they include shears for maintaining flower beds, shrub shears for rejuvenating trees and shrubs, lawn shears with long, sharp blades, and small shears for finely pruning leaves, fruits, and buds, etc. Let’s take a closer look at the last type since all the others have been discussed before.

The small pieces that look like regular scissors are also known as plane scissors, fancy scissors, or florist scissors. They use two sharpened blades to make straight cuts.

The small size and slender blades allow the tool to reach the most difficult to reach areas without cutting too much.

Florist scissors are not large enough for thick branches. They are better suited for posing or bonsai, but not more than that. Unlike the same contact pruning shears, garden shears work in a clever and precise way. Such pieces are worth buying not only for the gardener but for the average houseplant lover as well.

Check out the florist’s scissors and find the right ones here.

Ready-made garden toolbox

You can find ready-made sets of tools at garden megastores and online stores. There will definitely be a small trowel as well as shears or a small spade, sometimes a root puller, or all items at the same time. With these kits, you can save $5 and get a uniform design.

However, there are some pitfalls. The connection between the tip and the handle may not be of good enough quality. The same is true of manufacturing materials. Therefore, don’t be coy in your choice. If possible, you should open the package and look at the details before prioritizing the print/color.

Knowing the brands will help make the decision a little easier. Production in China is not always bad. Sometimes well-known companies shift production to China simply because it is more profitable. Quality is not compromised.

To summarize

This set of 12 indispensable gardening tools can vary slightly up or down. It depends on the nature of the work to be done and the type of equipment needed. A gardening tool kit can also help shorten or expand the list.

In our RunSun E-Catalog, there is a series of bathroom supplies for indoor and outdoor, as well as gardening and household products customization and OEM/ODM development. Welcome to contact us to customize your products.

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