If you are looking for digging tools, garden pruning and cutting tools or lawn care tools, choose the right ones and gardening is immediately made easier.
Garden tools are an essential part of so many chores in any garden is selecting the right list of equipment.
And when selecting garden tools you do need to look for durable and weatherproof qualities.
Selecting Garden Tools
We help you select the best, from a long list, as well as give a few tips on maintaining garden tools in good condition. Looking for a rake, do you want a leaf rake, a garden rake to soil, or a landscaping rake to help level large areas, useful for new lawns.
Basics, these are the hand tools such as spades, shovels, nursery barrows, and watering cans can certainly make gardening chores easier and well maintained quality tools are easy to use and last for many years.
Everything is built to a price, cheap tools may do the job however they rarely last, so what do you need to look for?. The most expensive is not always the best, you need to find a product that is right for you, as well as being sturdy and reliable. When selecting look for :
- a guarantee is always good, a manufacturer that stands by the product
- a quality handle, strong and secure, gardening if a tough core sometimes
- consider stainless steel for long lasting, however not all stainless steel is of good quality
- a reputable manufacturer
- strong welding and construction to take the strains and stresses of heavy use
We also need to look at hedge clippers and mowers, Greenhouse Kits, digital timers, fertilizer injectors, watering cans, forks, stainless steel tools, ph test kits, garden clothing and water saving products are all an important part of gardening.
A basic gardening tool list will depend a little on the type of gardening you intend to be involved in.
Garden tool list
- Fork
a basic garden tool used for loosening and tilling soil, digging weeds and lifting plants and bulbs - Spade
for digging holes for planting, turning soil - Secateurs
for pruning roses and shrubs and all sorts of small jobs… our favorite gardening tool, never go into the garden without a pair. - Pruning saw
for larger pruning jobs, - Gardening gloves
really essential and much easier on the hands - Watering can
for watering in newly planted plants, for applying liquid fertilizer to garden plants. Haws Watering Cans are a popular quality brand available from Sage Horticultural. - Wheelbarrow
if you have a garden larger than a basic courtyard a wheelbarrow is great for mulch, compost, manures and general garden work. - Chippers and chipper mulchers
for larger gardens chippers and mulchers are well worth the investment
Our Favorite Garden Tools
We use ‘felco secateurs’, they last for years, you can get replacement blades and parts and are a pleasure to use, don’t go into the garden without them
We have a ‘Wolfe’ garden fork, we have only ever owned four garden forks, one was actually belonged to my great grandfathers, strong, a pleasure to use and it lasted to so many years it is unbelievable. We did by a new fork about 10 years ago, and it lasted about 18 months, went back to using grandpas, we then found a nice looking ‘new design’ garden fork, it bent a prong after two weeks, and it was stainless steel.
So we went back to grandpas, the handle broke, well after 50 years it was about time, so we found a Wolfe garden fork for sale, it has been a real beauty, feels great to use, and it might just last as long as grandpas.
Oh yes, we are fixing the handle on the old fork, but I have a feeling I like the feel of the Wolfe one just a little more…..
We also like our wheelbarrow, pruning saw and a little hand fork for weeding… very handy
Maintenance
The first step is to always put garden tools away clean. A quick wash and a wipe of the blades with a slightly oily rag will do the job.
Sharpen regularly, its much easier to run a stone or a file over the blade of a pair os secateurs every two months than it is to try to bring them back from being really blunt. They will be easier to use as well.
Wooden handles will last for many years. If you use a mix of linseed oil and turpentine (50/50) twice a year they will outlast most gardeners. Simply rub it in with a soft cloth at the beginning of winter, and again during summer.
- Rub a little of this on the blades of spades and forks as well before putting them away for the winter.
Sterilize. Before using and cutting tool make sure it is clean, a rub with tea tree oil will do the job.
Secateurs
Regarded as one of the most important of all garden tools secateurs are the one gardening tool that many keen gardeners do not step into the garden without. And as for nurserymen, well they are essential tools of the trade.
But which ones and what type are the best ?
You can pay a lot of money for good secateurs and they are used for pruning and trimming plants on a daily basis. But how do choose a good pair and how much should you pay.
Ranging in price from around $20 up to $130 you might think that the most expensive are the best, not always true. What you are looking for is ease of use and cutting ability and these two do not always match up to price.
Ease of use is related to weight, balance in the hand, the ease and reliability of the safety catch. Cutting performance is related to the amount of effort needed to make a cut but also the cleanness of the cut.
Two types of secateurs are available, the anvil and the bypass. Bypass are the most common, they work with a two bladed a sharp curved top blade and a bottom blade. The anvil type have a top blade and an anvil that the top blade cuts to.
So how to choose
- Look for strong handles
- A safety catch is a must, however many of the thumb operate catches do get stuck after a while.
- Look for a style that fits your hand
- Good quality steel is important
- As for bright colored handles so you wont lose them, not really a factor we would consider when looking for gardening tools.
Garden Tools are available for sale from the following online suppliers.
Online and Retail Melbourne and Geelong based garden centres. Check out their large range of indoor and outdoor plants, Australian Natives, Fruit Trees and Edibles, Succulents, Gardenias, Camellias, Hydrangeas plus a full range garden products for delivery in Melbourne.
www.diacos.com.au
2/104 Wedgewood Rd Hallam VIC 3803
Propagation equipment, greenhouses, Wetpot Watering System, greenhouse film, shadecloth, fertilizers, Technical Advice, Fertilizer formulations, Leaf & Soil Analysis, Service, & spare parts
www.sagehort.com.au
PO Box 7040 Leura NSW 2780
Rare woodland plants, Trilliums Epimediums, Arisaemas, plus much more.www.lynnsrareplants.com.au