How good are the latest gardening tools? Let’s talk
11.9 years ago garden maintenance, garden sheers, gardening tools, guest post
For true garden lovers, taking care of their yard is more than just an everyday task. Hard-working garden owners take pride in their yards, and with the necessary tools in their garage, they find it easier to make their yard look fantastic. Here is a list of the latest gardening tools that help to keep your yard in tiptop shape.
Hula Hoe
Hoes help you to make rows, dig furrows, loosen the soil and kill weeds. This tool is also known as stirrup hoe that makes weeding an easy job. The stirrup hoe is a long-handled tool that makes you work easily without too much bending. Its blade oscillates to and fro like the hips of a hula dancer. This oscillating blade also helps to slice weed roots below the soil surface. Since the blade swivels to and fro it cuts on both pull and push stroke, making it easy to handle in closed spaces between plants and along the edge of flower beds. When the blade starts losing its sharpness you have to replace it with a new one.
Shovels
A good long-handled shovel is used for mixing large quantities of dirt, compost, soil and other related materials. The long handles of the shovel minimize strain on your back and shoulders. The handle is slightly tilted so that your hand remains in a natural position thereby reducing the pressure on hand and wrist. You can also use the shovel for planting trees and shrubs.
Electric Garden Groom
You no longer need to waste time cleaning up hedge trimmings than trimming them. Garden groom is a wonderful invention that is ergonomically designed to trim your hedge. The groom uses its big rotary blade for trimming and collects all the cuttings in its built-in-cavity bag to keep your yard free from debris. Thus the tool makes disposal easy without requiring you to sweep up afterwards which is the most labor intensive part.
Gas powered three-in-one Push Lawn Mower
Ideal for smaller garden, the compact design is easy to handle in closed spaces and features three-in-one cutting system that includes side discharge option, mulching and a rear bag collection. Simply fold the handle and keep it aside when not in use. Its mulching option returns the essential nutrients back into the soil resulting in a healthier and greener lawn. You can adjust the height of the handle for more comfortable pushing. Overall the Lawn mower is designed to be an user-friendly tool.
Electric chipper or shredder
This machine powered with electricity makes quick work out of leaves, pruned branches and plant debris. Converts your garden’s rubbish into beautiful munch or compost material thus saving your job of reduce, reuse and recycle. Its lightweight design makes you comfortable in moving it around the yard. The machine is also provided with a safety hopper lock that stops the motor from operating when opened. So there are no more smoky fumes in your garden.
Hand Trowel
Trowels are ideal for digging holes in garden beds; planting small annuals, herbs and vegetables; planting container gardens and mixing soil with compost, fertilizer and other potting mixes. Look for the latest one piece design where the handle will always stay firmly with the head as you take it deep into tough soil. The latest versions have an easy-to-grasp handle. Overall it offers a hassle free performance.
Hand Pruners
Hand pruners are of two types: the anvil type with a deep sap groove and the bypass type which functions like scissors. Anvil pruners do not require much of hand pressure and is easy to cut. Bypass pruners functions well in tighter spaces. Both the models can be used to cut branches up to 1 inch in diameter. The sap groove prevents the blade from sticking when used to cut sappy wood. Hand pruners reduce pressure and impact on wrists. If you take proper care then these pruners will last longer.
Bulb Planters
This tool can be used to make a perfect hole for planting bulbs and other bedding plants. Its long handle saves your back and makes planting easy. For easy operation, simply moisten the soil before planting. Take the planter to the position where the bulb has to be placed and twist the tool to dig hole to the desired depth, then take out the tool from the hole. Now all you need to do is simply drop in seeds or bulbs without straining your back.
Wheel barrow/ Garden cart
These carts are not only used to transport heavy and bulky materials such as soil, garden debris, plants and compost but also to carry concrete mixing containers. Its light weight makes lifting and managing extremely easy. The latest carts have cushioned loop handle for comfort and powder coated steel frame for extra durability.
Poly Leaf Scoops
Poly leaf scoops can be used to pick up leaves, thorny or poisonous plant trimmings, pine needles, weeds and gum balls without harming your hands. It is also used for bedding mulch and peat moss. Poly leaf scoops are ideal for all seasons.
Electric Garden Cultivator/Tiller
Cultivators are generally used to open up and aerate the soil. The tines of this tool help in mixing of materials and loosening weed roots. If you have smaller rocks on your garden soil, no worry, the tiller kicks them out of the soil and to the top where they can be easily removed. Because of its light weight it digs very well without requiring much of man handling or intense arm and back workouts. The only thing you have to do is remove the tines after each use and clean them, which is quite an easy job.
Visit your favorite store and grab these latest tools to make gardening even more enjoyable.
About The Author: Alia is a writer blogger. She loves writing, travelling and reading books. She contributes to Joshia Pastore
How to sharpen hedge sheers (hedge trimmers)
13.6 years ago garden sheers, sharpen your axe
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” —Abraham Lincoln
The above has to be one of my favorite quotes, a great summary of working smart versus working hard. I have used this quote in reference to doing work such as creating tools to make the overall job take more time…in this sense I will be using it in the more literal terms in actually “sharpening your ax” or in this case your hedge sheers.
As you can see from the picture above I have let these sheers go a little and they provide a bit too much of resistance when trimming the hedges. With proper maintenance the only resistance you should feel is from the bushes you are trimming.
The process to sharpen your hedge trimmers is actually quite simple and can be done with a very limited set of materials.
Materials:
Step 1: Clean surface. Apply a small amount 3-in-1 oil to one of the surfaces of the blade and rub with steel wool to remove any dirt/grime from the blades. Repeat process for all four sides of the blades.
Step 2: Remove rough edges from flat side of blade. Use your medium metal file to remove any rough edges on the blade. Repeat with fine metal file until edge is very smooth.
Step 3: Sharpen rounded edge of blade. Using the fine metal file carefully make create a sharp cutting surface. If the right work was done on Step 2 there should not be much work do do here. Just keep gently apply pressure until there is very little resistance, pay attention to the sounds this is a case where you can hear when your work is done.
Step 4: Clean and oil up. Clean off and remaining grime with old rag and apply some more 3-in-1 oil to the blade and any moving parts as needed.
Now you have some hedge sheers that will easily slice through your shrubbery with much less effort and allowing you more time to more exciting projects in your garden. When it comes to other tools in your garden hand sheers or an old shovel you can use these same tips to make those work like new as well.
