Tools Of The Trade

Gardening, no matter how much we enjoy it, is work. Cultivating, tilling, planting, weeding, and pruning keeps even the avid gardener busy.  Often overlooked, are the tools we use.  Choosing the right ones will make the tasks easier.  No need to buy every tool sold at the local garden center so here are some recommendations:

• A long handled spade, which is more important than a shovel. A spade is designed for digging whereas a shovel moves material from one area to another.
• A spading fork, which has flat square tines and is used for moving heavy soil, preparing it in the spring. It is different than a pitchfork, having rounded slender tines.
• A steel rake, used to break up clumps, smooth out the soil and stir in fertilizers and amendments. Also a leaf rake is handy for lawn care year-round.
• A hoe, needed to form rows, cover seeds, move soil, cut out weeds, and make holes for transplanting. They come in all sorts of sizes so find one that is a comfortable fit for you.
• A hand trowel, a small tool like this will become a gardener’s best friend. They are useful for marking rows, weeding, furrowing, and moving plants.

Remember to try before you buy.  Pick up the tool and make sure it is a good fit, well balanced and comfortable.  Bigger and heavier are not always better.  Take good care of your investments as well.  Clean and disinfect the tools after every use, and applying penetrating oil after will keep the tools of your trade in good shape.

For more information on this, the Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County have the free factsheet, “Tools of the Trade”, please contact us at 570-963-6842 or email LackwannaMG@psu.edu  for a copy.


Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator
Penn State Cooperative Extension in Lackawanna County