Gardening tools for intermediates organic gardener

Posted on September 22nd, 2008 by admin

Gardening has been my hobby ever since junior high school. I’m not quite sure why, except that there’s something about fussing around with soil, bedding plants, and packets of seeds that is so immensely satisfying. But like any hobby, gardening requires patience, a little skill, and tools to make the job even possible.
My collection of garden tools is pretty substantial and fills up a shed that’s nearly 10 feet wide by 30 feet long. I have a tool for every occasion and my neighbors know it, which is why I’m called “Rent It Central” in my neighborhood. Of course, not all thesetools get used all the time ~ such as Grandpa’s old tamper which hasn’t seen dirt since 1996 or his crossbow saw that’s large enough to cut down a 60 feet maple tree if we felt so inclined. But for basic all-around garden tools for someone new to organic gardening, most gardeners can manage with these ten commonly used tools:
Pointed Shovel
There are many styles of shovels available but not all do the same task. A true shovel has a “lift” behind the blade which some people refer to as a gooseneck. This means that when the blade of the shovel lies flat on the ground, the handle hits you somewhere around mid thigh. A shovel is designed for digging holes and moving soil, and allows the body to leverage itself to handle the weight of the soil.
Don’t confuse a shovel with a spade. Spades usually have a flatter blade and flat handle. This means that when the blade is placed flat on the ground, the handle will be on the ground as well. While spades certainly serve their own function, if you can only afford to buy one, stick with a shovel.
Leaf rake
These fan shaped rakes have only one purpose, to rake leaves. For large yards with lots of leaves, buy a wide 30″ rake. For a smaller yard with few leaves, a 12-18″ wide rake will work. Keeping the leaves and debris off your yard will help keep a pest problem under control.
Small pitchfork
For turning composting yard waste and vegetable scraps or garden soil, a small pitchfork is a must have tool. A pitchfork allows you to properly rotate compost and turn the soil in your garden beds without causing clumps like a shovel might. I have both a long handled pitchfork and a short one, but it’s the short pitchfork that sees the most use.
Pruners
Hand pruners look a little bit like a scissors, but are used to prune or “dead head” roses and other flowering plants. Pruning stimulates new growth, encourages more blooms, and keeps shrubs and flowers to a manageable size. There isn’t any substitute for a good pair of pruners.
Loppers
For trimming shrubs and small branches, a loppers is a long, two handled tool with a short scissor-like blade at the end. Loppers are a type of super size pruner that can be used to shape shrubs and keep those low tree branches from coshing you in the head.
Japanese Hori-Hori digging knife
Half dagger and half serrated knife, this Japanese digging knife has a 7″ slightly curved chrome blade and is the gardener’s equivalent to a Leatherman. This tool can dig up weeds, cut away the burlap on a root ball, hack away at plastic twine and tarps, and dig holes for planting plant starts and seeds. Most digging knives even come with a notched ruler on the side to help determine planting depth for bulbs and measuring those gigantic beefsteak tomatoes. This tool pretty much does it all.
Scotts Lawn and Garden cart
Wheelbarrows come in all shapes and can do a wide of assortment of task from hauling firewood to moving dirt, or carrying those 8 flats of flowers across the yard. I have four different sizes of wheelbarrows; the one I use the most however is not a true wheelbarrow but a deep yard cart with a handle. The Scotts Lawn and Garden cart is easy on the back, easy to pull around the yard, can be used to mix up your own potting mix, transport compost, and can follow you around the yard as you prune back roses and dig up weeds.
Pruning saw
Unlike a regular carpenter’s saw, a pruning saw is a curved saw with serrated teeth that’s used to cut off larger branches on shrubs and trees. A quality pruning saw can handle branches up to 5-6″ in diameter. Pruning is done to remove deadwood, keep branches from hitting your house and causing rot, and to bring more light into the center of the tree.
Dandelion digging tool
Unlike a Hori Hori, a dandelion digging tool looks like a long flat screwdriver with a forked head. These tools are pushed into the ground and can pull up weeds with deep tap roots, including dandelions and field geranium. The benefit of getting rid of dandelion the organic way is that the leaves can be washed and tossed in a dinner salad.
Compost tumbler
A compost tumbler is geodesic dome-like structure that breaks down all that garden waste into healthy compost. Instead of bagging up all those prunings, leaves, grass clipping, and vegetable scraps, toss ‘em all in a composter instead for soil additive that’s free and so-much-better than the bagged stuff.
While there’s many other tools that serve a special niche in the organic garden, beginners will find that these ten tools will pretty much cover most of the necessary garden tasks that might be encountered. With the exception of the Hori Hori, these gardening tools can be found in gardening centers and discount department stores in your community. Hori Horis can be purchased in nurseries and specialty gardening shops.