Gardening should be fun, not stressful. Why not use the tools that make this activity easier? Check 10 simple and inexpensive tools for planting.
1) The Shovel
The first of the garden tools that you put in the shed is the garden shovel. This tool is essential to move the soil in depth: one of the first tasks you carry out after winter, before sowing in the spring in the garden.
Choose the tool according to the type of soil you are going to cultivate. The shovel with a pointed blade (straight or pointed tip) is more suitable if the soil is heavy, not worked with previously. The square blade shovel (square or wide tip) is best for light soils that have already been cultivated; or for digging holes.
2) The Hoe for orchards
The second indispensable tool in the garden is the hoe. This tool is used to break up the clods and move the soil to the surface. This helps to get rid of weeds, prepare the soil, or dig furrows to irrigate the garden.
3) Pruning shears
Every gardener needs a good pair of pruning shears in his toolbox. The pruning shears are used both to prune the low branches of the trees and to take care of your ornamental plants.
Pruning shears come in these 3 formats:
- Basic;
- Versatile;
- Telescopic.
The basic or versatile pruning shears are used for green wood and clean cuts. Telescopic pruning shears are used to trim twigs or small branches to heights that cannot be reached with other formats.
4) The Rake
Another essential gardening tool is the rake, since it will help us to aerate the land, equalize the sowing or planted area, collect plants after pruning, or simply clean large areas.
The main factors to take into account are:
- Strength;
- Draft;
- Width.
Depending on the width, the type of terrain and the tooth density, you can choose the one that best suits your needs.
5) The Saw
The saw is the ideal tool for pruning thick branches, which will be essential if you want to plant certain fruit trees, while otherwise you will not be able to control their growth, appearance or health.
6) The Hori-Hori Knife
This is the ultimate gardening tool. The term “hori” actually means “digging”. In short, a hori-hori knife is a small saw made of steel and designed to perform all kinds of tasks in the garden. Obviously digging is one of them, but you can do it all with a hori-hori.
Among other tasks, with a hori-hori knife you can dig, lighten the ground, plant, transplant, prune, remove roots, weeds, cut thin branches and stems, etc.
7) The irrigation hose
What is the most important thing to make the plants in the garden grow beautiful and lush? Water them correctly! An increasingly popular and suitable model for saving water resources is the so-called drip irrigation tube, fixed systems (placed in the furrows or between the plants) to slowly supply water to the crops, saving and optimizing.
The porous tube is also interesting: located above or below a thin layer of soil, this tube releases a small and constant amount of water that is filtered through the special rubber. It can save more than 70% of water resources compared to conventional irrigation methods.
8) The Backpack sprayer
The best option is to buy a backpack sprayer. Spraying is necessary in order to avoid or control possible pests of the crops.
Pay attention to these aspects:
- It should be easy to take care of;
- It should have a good filter to ensure the retention of particles and not to obstruct the outlet;
- It should have a built-in constant pressure regulator.
- Sprayers are one of the most used tools for any treatment in your orchard or garden so choose them carefully.
9) The Sprinkler irrigation system
Sprinkler irrigation is recommended for large gardens, as its coverage is long-range thanks to higher water pressure. The key gardening tool for this type of irrigation is a sprinkler which must be made of stainless steel if you want your investment to last as long as possible.
10) Leaf blower
One of the best options for removing dirt and keeping green areas clear is leaf blowers. These tools implement their blowing or suction power to clean a wide variety of surfaces in a practical, effective and fast way.
A good leaf blower has this features:
- Security switch;
- Clip to relieve cable tension;
- Comfortable support strap.
A blower, regardless of its model, uses centrifugal force to move trash, leaves or debris.