Choosing Sustainable Gardening Equipment

The types and quality of equipment you use to take care of your plants not only have an effect on your plants' health, but your own as well.

Defective tools could cause damage to your plants, but it is worse if they are so uncomfortable to use that they cause blisters or back pain. To avoid this, look for the gardening equipment that will do the best job for your type of gardening. It must have the right amount of power to be energy-efficient to support your sustainable gardening efforts, while also being able to do the job without causing you any more strain than necessary.

Here are several items of gardening equipment with high ratings from gardeners.

1. Garden Shredders

WORX WG430 13 amp Electric Leaf Mulcher/Shredder received four stars out of five from the customers on Amazon.com. It is bladeless for safety, and produces 53 gallons of mulch per minute. It is a promising tool to improve and hasten your shredding activity - meaning more great materials for your compost or mulching.

Ryobi ESR - 2240 Electric Shredder is an easy to assemble garden shredder suitable for prunings up to 40mm. It comes with built-in wheels and a plunger for increased portability.

2.  Hedge Trimmer

Bosch AHS42-16 Electric Hedge Trimmer also received five stars out of five rating from the gardening equipment reviewers from recommendedbuys.co.uk. It has 420 watt output.

3. Cultivators

Mantis Tiller Cultivator comes with patented tines to aid in cutting smoothly through hard, compacted soil. It is perfect for preparing vegetable plots, flower beds, etc. It also helps in thatching, aerating and cleaning moss. Some models also come with a free border edger.

4. Gas-Less Lawnmowers

Brill 78371 Push Reel Mower rated 4.5 out of 5 stars from Tools-hills.com customers. It has a large top cover that protects shrubs and overhanging flowers.

American Lawnmower Deluxe Light Reel Mower 1815-18 received 4.5 stars out of 5 from Epinions.com buyers.  A push-mower, it does not cause pollution, but is not suitable for tall grass.

5. Leaf Sweeper

Agri-Fab 26 Push Leaf Sweeper is great for smaller lawns and is available with 7-cubic foot collector. It also comes with an infinite height adjustment feature.

Gardening tools and equipment. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Of implements for harvesting, beside the spade, prong-hoe and spading-fork, very few are used in the small garden, as most of them need not only long rows to be economically used, but horse- power also. The onion harvester attachment for the double wheel hoe, may be used with advantage in loosening onions, beets, turnips, etc., from the soil or for cutting spinach. Running a hand-plow close on either side of carrots, parsnips and other deep-growing vegetables will aid materially in getting them out. For fruit picking, with tall trees, the wire-fingered fruit-picker, secured to the end of a long handle, will be of great assistance, but with the modern method of using low-headed trees it will not be needed.

Another class of garden implements are those used in pruning but where this is attended to properly from the start, a good sharp jack-knife and a pair of pruning shears will easily handle all the work necessary.

Still another sort of garden device is that used for supporting the plants; such as stakes, trellises, wires, etc. Altogether too little attention usually is given these, as with proper care in storing over winter they will not only last for years, but add greatly to the convenience of cultivation and to the neat appearance of the garden.

As a final word to the intending purchaser of garden tools, I would say first, thoroughly investigate the different sorts available, and when buying, do not forget that a good tool or a well-made machine will be giving you satisfactory use long, long after the price is forgotten, while a poor one is a constant source of discomfort.

Get good tools, and  take good care of them. And let me repeat that a few dollars a year, judiciously spent, for tools afterward well cared for, will soon give you a very complete set, and add to your garden success and pleasure.

   

Choosing the Right Tools for Your Garden

The range of gardening tools that are available now is quite outstanding. As gardening is one of the most popular hobbies in the world, there is a huge demand for gardening tools that can do a better job in the garden while making that job easier to complete for people of all ages.

You will need to buy the tools that make life easier in your particular garden, and that will be determined by the space you have available, the types of plants that you have growing, and your physical capabilities or limitations.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If your garden has quite a few large trees or hedges you will also need tools that make the job of trimming at those heights easier. With the design of new garden implements concentrating on leverage for ease of use, it has become a lot easier for the home gardener to maintain plants at heights that would have normally required professional help.

Many of newer garden implements have also been designed for ease of use for people who suffer from arthritis and the elderly who don't have the strength they once had. Not only are these tools popular with the elderly but they will make the job of maintaining your garden a lot easier and more enjoyable by reducing the effort required to use them.

You will be able to select from implements that can reach to places that would be difficult without getting down into the garden, and as well as making life easier, they can also make it safer.

A friend of mine recently had to clear the ground around some small palms and without the use of a long handled garden implement she had no alternative but to get down and do this by hand. The ensuing pricks from the palm fronds made sure she went to the garden store at the earliest opportunity to ensure she wouldn't have to do that again! Fortunately she was wearing safety glasses as getting pricked in the eye by stems or sharp plant leaves can cause painful and permanent damage to your sight.

Safety glasses, or even sunglasses should be worn when working in the garden and breathing masks should always be worn when using poisons and insecticides - although as an organic gardener of course you don't use those! But safety precautions should also be taken when using organic and natural pesticides and other aids.

When in the garden, it is important to use the proper tools to preserve our own health as well as that of our plants.

For some specific suggestions and reviews of highly-rated garden tools and equipment, be sure to check back Thursday!

Picking the Right Gardening Tools

If you’re thinking about taking your gardening seriously and growing a lot of your own food this year, then you will want to get the right garden tools to help you in this. You might be tempted to go out to the store and just buy the nearest things you see, but you’ll be much happier and more productive in your gardening if you put some thought into the styles and types of tools you’re buying. There are styles designed just for gardening, and you’ll be better off buying those.

Image via WikipediaYou can find most of the tools you will need at your local gardening or home improvement store. Usually the employees will be happy to assist you in finding the ideal tools. If you go to a shop that specializes in gardening, you can usually get some advice in addition to service. Gardening store employees are usually an untapped wealth of wisdom, and they can be a great resource.

If you are having a hard time finding the right tool or if you want to save some money, you might try looking online for the supplies you need. You’ll have to pay the shipping costs and wait an extra week or two, but often if you buy more than one tool, the total savings will be worth it. (You should always buy from a reputable seller, though, and search around beforehand for anything negative that people had to say about their buying experience. Amazon.com has some good deals, and you can find buyer feedback for most of their sellers.)

Image via WikipediaAs far as basic digging tools go, you might already have all you’ll need. There are several types that you should get though, for different specific tasks. A round point shovel is good for digging holes for plants. A spade is necessary for all the more intricate work. Some people say a garden fork is not a necessity, but I've found it is one of my most-used tools - I don't think I'd even have a garden right now without one! I guess it depends on whether you are digging your garden yourself, or creating a raised bed using store-bought soil. If you are digging in existing soil, you will definitely want a digging fork, especially if the area has not been gardened in for a while (or ever). Having these different varieties of digging tools can help you to minimize the work you have to do. For example, if you try digging a big hole with a little spade then you’ll end up rather tired. The same goes if you are attempting to do more detailed work with a big clumsy shovel.

A rake is an absolute necessity for many gardeners. You most likely already have one, but I’m guessing it’s a lawn rake and not a garden rake. There is definitely a difference, and if you try to use a lawn rake in a garden then you will not be happy with the results. Same if you buy a grading or a contractor’s rake. You’ll want to look for a bowhead rake. I’ve found these are the best for gardening purposes. They will provide you the maximum control and accuracy, so you don’t accidentally tear up your precious plants.

As far as hoes go, I don’t believe any gardener should have less than 3. There are so many useful varieties on the market that I have a hard time recommending just one, and that’s why I’ll tell you all the ones I usually use. The one I use the most is the onion hoe, which is very lightweight and ideal for small cultivations and weeding. The Warren hoe is a larger model, with a pointed end. If you need to make a hole or dig out a pesky weed, this is the one for you. There are several other varieties, but I recommend starting with the ones I mentioned. As you progress in your gardening savvy, you will find the need for more types.

Most people believe that gardening just consists of a simple spade. But there are many, many tools with many more variations that you will use in your gardening career. Usually you can start with just a few different tools, but you’ll always find that you can use more varieties for special situations. It’s just a matter of recognizing when one tool could be more efficient than another.

(For some more info and recommendations on gardening tools, be sure to visit http://www.newholisticliving.com/sustainablegardening.html and sign up for the free weekly sustainable gardening newsletter.)

A Few Good Garden Tools to Check Out: