(7)Kiwi Phils Gardening corner - Basic Tools

Kiwi Phil · Feb 13, 2006

Spades, Forks & Shovels etc Cultivating the soil can be very enjoyable and is also good exercise. Having the right tool for the job is vital because it will make the job pleasurable, saves time and will avoid injury. Both forks and spades are used for improving the physical structure of the soil and to promote healthy root growth. Whilst digging the soil, obstacles can be removed, air spaces created and organic matter incorporated. Shovels are hopeless tools for digging. They have square mouths that make them ideal for shovelling and moving the soil and small spades can be used to create a spade edge against a lawn border. When buying a garden fork, avoid those that are made from weak metals as they will bend easily and be ineffective. Forks made of a stronger metal such as steel are ideal and will make the task a lot easier. Forks are often preferable to spades for digging over the garden because they don't cut up the worms. With their four pointed tines, they penetrate stony or compacted ground more easily than a spade, but they bring less soil to the surface. The back of the fork can also be used to break up clods. Forks are more efficient than spades when digging heavy soils, as clay doesn't stick to the tines as it does to a solid blade. Spades and forks are similar in construction, and the same considerations regarding materials, joints, handle lengths and grips apply when choosing them. A spade slices into the soil, then is lifted to turn the earth. Spades have numerous other uses from planting trees and shrubs to cutting turf. Heavy spades such as those made from forged steel are excellent because they allow you to dig deep in the clay layers of the soil. You can also use the back of the spade to break up clumps of soil. If the edge of the blade is kept sharp it can be used to cut turf, skim off weeds or cut through small roots. Short handles are preferable because they allow great manoeuvrability. However, handle length is a matter of preference, some people prefer longer handled spades. There is a huge variety of spades ranging in blade width and handle length. Narrow steel spades are beneficial in heavy ground because they easily penetrate and shatter the subsoil. Choosing tools: Stainless steel heads are easier to dig with than carbon-steel ones as the soil doesn't cling to them as much, neither do they rust. For digging and levering out plants use a tool with a forged head as the parts under stress are made thicker and the blade edge, which needs to be sharp, is rolled thinner. Handle the tool in the shop before you buy it. Is the top of the blade wide enough for your foot? Does the handle length allow you to keep your back straight? It is important to choose the right fork or spade to suit you. Smaller tools suit smaller people, including women and children, as they are lightweight and easier to manage. Remember that gardening will be a pleasure if you select high quality tools that suit you. Another suitable tool for the garden is the torpedo hoe. It is a piece of thin flat steel, maybe 8 long, and shaped like a boomarang, attached to a long handle, at such an angle, than when the end of the handle is at waist height, the steel boomerang head lies flat on the ground. Use it for cutting and removing weeds in difficult places, by either pushing it forward or pulling it back, just under the surface of the soil. I can get a photo of one if anyone wishes. For making small trench-rows for planting seed in, cut a piece of tin (thicker the better) into a small triangle, maybe 4 on all 3 sides. Scew it to the end of a handle (dead centre of the triangle). Just drag it along the line you wish to make a trench. The harder you push down, the deeper the trench. For spacing things apart, take one of your long handled tool, and every 6 cut a small notch. Lay it on the ground. If seed it to be planted 6 apart, plant one seed at each notch. Mentally adjust to meet your varying needs. Cheers Phillip