Cool Tools for New and Seasoned Gardeners

As the end of the year approaches and winter is on the horizon, I find that the term "putting one's garden to bed" does not apply anymore.  With global climate change occurring, much of the country is becoming warmer.  Our region is no exception since our winters are experiencing more mild periods.  Because of these mild periods, gardening in much of Pennsylvania has shifted from three to four seasons. That is, there is always something to do in the garden, regardless of the time of year. And like plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and auto mechanics, gardeners need the proper tools to do their tasks. 

Evaluating a potential garden tool

• Quality: A high-quality tool will last longer and work better for you and the task at hand.
• Cost: Cost and quality generally go together.  However, a pricey tool is not necessarily the best. Do online research to try to find reviews of the tool.
• Materials: Tools are generally constructed of metal, polymers (e.g., polyethylene), fiberglass, and wood. The metal used is usually carbon steel or stainless steel.  Carbon steel rusts, stainless steel does not; therefore, carbon steel requires maintenance to preserve the metal. Parts made of polymers and fiberglass require minimal maintenance. Parts made of wood need to be maintained with wood preservatives or painted.
• Weight: A lighter tool is easier to use for extended periods of time.
• Shaft length: Hand tools used for digging and weeding benefit from a long shaft versus a short shaft. A longer shaft adds leverage when using the tool, reducing stress on the hands, wrists, and arms.
• Handle design: A tool with a handle that has the shape of a D, Y, T, P, or O may be helpful to a gardener by aiding upper body leverage and ergonomics.
• Blade design: When working in the soil, a tool with a pointed end penetrates the ground more easily than the same tool with a round or flat end.
• Right tool: Use the right tool for the task at hand.  For example, hand pruners are not designed to cut a 1-inch branch—use loppers or a pruning saw.
• Power tools: Consider replacing gasoline-operated tools with cordless electric tools. Battery technology has progressed to the point that cordless electric tools perform as well as (or better) than gasoline-operated tools. Cordless electric tools significantly reduce the carbon footprint by not using gasoline and oil. In addition, tune-ups and maintenance are minimal.     

Tools for garden tasks

Okatsune 101 Bypass Pruner

This excellent lightweight pruner has blades of incredibly hard Zumo Yasuki, Japanese steel.  The blades have a cutting capacity of up to ¾ inches.  Additional features of these pruners are a spring-type mechanism for opening and closing the handles and a unique one-hand locking and unlocking feature.  This pruner should fit comfortably in most hands since it is available in four sizes.

Hydrofarm HGBS600 Bonsai Shear

This ultra-lightweight shear is ideal not only for crafting bonsai branches but also for deadheading, harvesting herbs, collecting flowers, and any other light-duty cutting. The blades are made of surgical stainless steel, with rounded tips and a length of 60mm (2+ inches).

Silky Gomboy 240 Pruning Saw

This superb saw is ideal for cutting larger branches. The 9 ½ inch blade is made of high-carbon steel with aggressively designed, medium-sized teeth that produce an incredibly smooth cut.  The blade folds into a textured, rubber-padded handle; the folded length is 10 ½ inches and easily fits into a pocket.  This is a top-of-the-line Japanese pruning saw!

Fanno Tri-Edge Pruning Pole Saw  

This short pole saw is ideal for pruning tree branches and thorny ornamental shrubs and pruning in hard-to-reach areas.  The contoured handle is 30 inches long and is laminated to protect the wood.  The saw portion is 13 inches long, curved, and is made of heavy gauge steel.  This is an ideal-sized pole saw for pruning inside the lower canopy of a tree.

Tomerry Japanese Triangle Hoe

This hand hoe is 16 inches long with a stainless-steel blade that is 5 ½ inches high and 3 inches wide and is ideal for working in tight garden areas.  The pointed blade makes it easier to remove large, clumping weeds, and the sharpened sides are useful for quickly removing small weeds at the soil surface.  This multi-functional tool can be used for weeding, cultivating, making seed rows, digging planting holes, etc.

DeWit Perennial Spork

This spade-like tool is 25 inches long with a 6 by 4 ½ inch head made of hand-forged, tempered boron steel.  The unique design of the head, along with the open areas, makes it easier to penetrate harder soils.  In addition, the "T" at the end of the shaft gives added leverage when working at ground level.  This excellent tool is ideal for working in confined areas, transplanting, and dividing perennial (e.g., hostas, daylilies) clumps.  This Dutch tool has a lifetime guarantee from DeWit.

DeWit perennial spork; DeWittoolUSA.com

Radius 23311 Root Slayer Perennial Shovel

This lightweight garden shovel is 44 inches long with a powder-coated carbon steel blade that is 9 by 7 inches and weighs 3½ pounds.  The shaft is made of 13-gauge resin-enforced fiberglass and is attached to a blade that is serrated on both sides with an inverted V-shaped tip.  The round handle allows for multiple hand positions.  This well-designed garden shovel is ideal for gardeners who have limited upper body strength.

Sneeboer Royal Dutch Hoe     

This superb Dutch tool is 65 inches long. It has an ash, P-grip hardwood handle, which is attached to a unique stainless-steel head that is secured with brass rivets.  The teeth at the front portion head increase the surface area of the blade by 35% and cut weeds just below the surface on the push stroke, while the hook on the reverse side of the blade eliminates weeds on the pull stroke.  This Dutch-made tool comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Royal Dutch Hoe  Sneeboer.com

Golden Gark

This unique Dutch tool is 60 inches long and is designed for raking, shoveling, and sifting.  The tool has a flat bottom and is lightweight, strong, durable, and is constructed of polycarbonate and powder-coated aluminum.  Its ergonomic design allows one to maintain an upright position while working.  As a side note, this tool works extremely well as a snow shovel!

Golden Gark  Goldengark.com

The Groundskeeper II Shrub Rake

A unique shrub rake with a 55-inch fiberglass handle attached to an aggressive wire tine head 9 inches wide and 6 inches long.  This rake can rake leaves, de-thatch lawns, spread mulch, move gravel, etc.  This rake is also available in a model with a 21-inch wire tine head.  Note: each tine-pair is replaceable.

EGO Power+ LB6504 Cordless Electric Leaf Blower

This superb power tool represents the latest in electric battery technology.  The blower is 36 inches long and weighs 13 pounds.  The blower is equipped with a 5.0Ah, 56-Volt, Lithium-ion battery that can generate speeds up to 180 mph!  The blower also has a variable-speed dial control and a turbo button to generate maximum speed.  The tool comes with a battery charger and two nozzle attachments, flat and tapered; a shoulder strap is available at an extra charge. This unit has a 5-year tool warranty and a 3-year battery warranty.