Gardening tools I cannot do without - Part 1
Gardening tools I cannot do without - Part 1
As gardeners we tend to acquire all kinds of tools to help us with our gardening, especially after we reach ‘a certain age’. Here are some tools I find I cannot do without.
Icy-pole sticks. These are handy for pricking out seedlings and then to stick in the ground as a label.
Meat skewers are great when doing fine, fiddly weeding. They can also be used as mini stakes to support very young plants.
Rachet secateurs. These make pruning easy on the hands and can be used for most pruning jobs. Simply cut using a series of squeezes. They are an anvil secateur so a quality cross-cutting secateur should still be used on easily damaged plants. For tiny pruning jobs such as bonsais, a sewer’s thread cutter is useful. It is also possible to get electric pruners.
Electric hedge trimmer. Old style hedge trimmers are great, providing you don’t use them for an extended period. An electric hedge trimmer makes the job easier on the body and also gets the job done in record time.
Electric chainsaw. These are much lighter than petrol chainsaws and you don’t need to worry about mixing fuel or trying to get the cantankerous thing started. They range in size from about 13cm up to 40cm. You still need bar lube and they do need regular sharpening. Invest in an electric chain sharpener (they are easy to use) rather than trying to use a file. Electric chainsaws are not suitable for serious cutting, such as that big ironbark that you want to get rid of. They require the same care and respect when in use as their petrol counterparts.
Garden fork. Get the most expensive fork that you can afford. Cheap forks will break or bend the tines. No fork is indestructible so don’t force it.
Spades are essential. We all have one but how many of us keep it sharpened? Buy a file and regularly run it over the edge of your spade. This will not only make digging easier but will also cleanly cut through roots, minimising the risk of disease.
The Zen Gardener
