“Tools for Backyard Gardening”
The minimum amount of tools a backyard gardener should use to do all of their work would be a rake, a spade and a hoe.
Even a large garden can be taken care of with these three elements. Although it is not wise to restrict yourself to these three garden tools alone for your backyard garden, because several other tools will go far to minimize your time and labor.
The average backyard gardener has only an hour or two each day for their work and must make every moment count.
The brief list of tools provided below might be well worth adding to your existing primary tools.
A wheel cultivator with extra attachments, which some garden shops still may carry, is convenient and saves more time allowing you to work your backyard vegetable garden much quicker and with less exertion than using a hoe.
A scuffle hoe, a spading fork, a trowel for transplanting, a hand fork, a round point shovel, a mattock for dealing with rocks and roots, a hose, a soaker or sprinkler and a garden line used for laying out rows in the garden.
In addition you should have a wheel barrow or lawn cart to add to your collection of tools, especially if your
backyard vegetable garden is a large one, for moving heavy loads or carrying your garden supplies.
Power equipment such as a rotary tiller may be used but is not necessary for the average backyard garden, but may be rented for the few days each year that it is needed.
If you do decide to use a rotary tiller, then I would recommend the rear tine tiller type with front self driven wheels.
This helps prevent the jumping forward motion of the rotary tiller that is so often a characteristic of a front tine rotary tiller, with stationary wagon wheels providing no control of the tiller in your backyard garden.
By using a rotary tiller with rear tines and front self driven wheels, this provides you with better control of the machine, allowing you to adjust the depth of your rear tines into the soil from 2″ to 10″.
This provides more aeration into the soil creating a healthier medium for your backyard vegetable garden, making the soil more workable for your hand tools and easier to manage reducing your time and labor.
When purchasing tools, always buy tools based on good quality. The extra expense you pay now will be well worth it to you and cheaper in the long run. Well made tools last longer, are more reliable, and are easier to use.
Maintaining your tools is just as important after buying your tools. Always clean off soil and mud after each use and make sure to lightly oil the tool before putting it away.
An occasional painting or coating of linseed oil will help preserve wooden parts of your tools and help you enjoy many years of successful backyard vegetable gardening.
This article on Tools for Backyard Gardening is brought to you by www.backyard-gardening.com
No TagsTags: cultivator, garden line, hand fork, pointed shovel, rake, scuffel hoe, soaker hose, spade, wheel barrow