Every gardener needs the best tools available to help them do their job. This article is designed to give you some insight on what items are essential for your garden toolkit—and which ones can be left behind!
As a garden owner, you have certainly seen one or two garden tools and know exactly what you need them for. However, there are also garden tools that are not so well known. Here we present all the common garden tools and explain what is used for what.
1. Garden forks
The various forks in the garden usually differ in shape and area of use. The manure fork (also known as pitchfork) is probably the best-known garden fork. Nowadays, this fork is mostly used in agriculture, but it can also be used for gardening.
Manure Fork
The manure fork, also known as a mulching fork or pitchfork, consists of four or five slightly curved tines. Today, the five-tined version is also often declared as a compost fork. It is used to transport manure and bedding for short periods of time. This all-around talent also enjoys real popularity when turning and spreading compost or removing leaves. Due to the high number of tines, even smaller components can be transported well from one place to another without losing too much of it.
Potato fork
As the name suggests, the potato fork is mainly used for harvesting potatoes. The many tines make it easy to loosen the soil and unearth several potatoes at once. The potato fork is also known as a stone fork.
Spading fork
A spading fork, also known as a digging fork, is a hybrid of a pitchfork and a spade. It consists of three or four tines, which are so strong that they enable the gentle digging of plants. In terms of function, it is therefore similar to a hoe and means that the soil can be worked with considerably less effort than with a spade.
In addition, there is an aspect that should particularly delight animal lovers: The spade fork’s tines are much less likely to injure small animals such as earthworms or snails.
2. Hoe
Many garden owners are also familiar with the garden hoe. It is generally used to loosen the soil so that it can be worked better. Thus, with the help of hoes weeds and smaller plants can be removed, but also make preparations for the new planting. Which hoe is used for what, you will learn below?
Double hoe
The advantage of a double hoe, also known as a hoe, is that it combines several features in one tool. The flat end, for example, is modeled on the classic flat hoe and is ideal for weeding, hoeing, and grading. The tines, on the other hand, usually two or three, are used to loosen and aerate the soil. Due to the small size of the garden tool, a specific area can be worked precisely. Therefore, the double hoe is ideal for beds of any kind.
Cultivator
The word cultivator is derived from the English word to grub, to dig. This explains quite well what the garden tool is used for. It loosens the soil well through its three, sometimes two tines so that the soil is aerated accordingly.
Cross hoe
A cross hoe or pickaxe is used for both heavy and loose soil. The front, pointed end is used for loosening soil containing clay and loam, while the rear side is used for sandy soil. The cross hoe is mainly used for removing roots.
3. Rake
This well-known garden tool is often used in the fall when there are leaves in the gardens. There are different forms of rakes and rakes, which we briefly explain here.
Rake for Rocks
The rake for gravel with teeth is used to remove leaves and other debris from the lawn. It can also be used for removing stones or pebbles, which may lie on top of the grass regularly.
This name says only something about the shape of the garden tool. The rake hangs on the handle as if on a kind of bracket. This allows not only to clean beds and areas but also to turn them into a flat surface by turning the rake upside down.
In addition, the rake is much more stable than a conventional rake due to the bracket design. The load is distributed more evenly here.
Leaf broom or fan broom
This type of rake is excellent for removing leaves and debris from the lawn. In the individual tines of this garden, tool leaves are well stuck, so they are excellent to collect in a pile and then easily put in an appropriate container.
Lawn Rake
To make the lawn in the garden nice and even green, you need a lawn rake. With its help, you can work the lawn. Due to the shape of the rake and the appropriate movement, it is sufficiently ventilated and so soon appears again in the lush green.
4. Shovel
One of the classic garden tools is, of course, a shovel. With it you can easily fill things into a container, get them out of a container, or transport them from one place to another. Although shovels differ in shape, they are still very similar in function.
The material from which the shovel is made should be as robust as possible. This means not only the shovel itself. The handle on which it is located should also be made of high-quality wood to withstand heavier loads. A comfortable handle also makes digging easier.
5. Pruning tools
There are numerous tools that can be used to trim trees, shrubs, and the like in the garden and bring them into shape. You should always use the right pruning tool so that both the plants and the respective garden tool remain beautiful for a long time.
If you use unsuitable shears, branches can be permanently damaged and affect the entire plant.