A gardener’s toolkit: 15 tools to keep handy
Published 2:23 pm Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Gardening tools, like kitchen gadgets, can pile up faster than you can say dandelion.
Some of the latest implements, however, don’t just help you garden — they make the work much easier.
That’s especially important for people with arthritis and weekend-warrior gardeners, who often try to do way too much in a short time and end up with injuries.
Today we spotlight three hot tools for getting an edge on tough gardening tasks, plus our list of 12 essentials for new gardeners.
Ratchet pruners: If you lack hand strength but love to prune, ratchet pruners, available in a variety of sizes and styles, might be for you.
Ratcheting pruners click progressively through a series of mechanical settings as you cut, multiplying your strength, allowing you to sever thicker branches.
Makers of the Florian 701 Ratchet Pruner ($32.95) claim their technology multiplies the user’s strength by 700 percent.
Florian, which sells its products online and by mail order, will allow gardeners to try its tools April 15 to 18 at the Spring Puyallup Fair and June 11 to 13 at Sorticulture in Everett.
See www.florianratchetcut.com or call 800-275-3618 for more details.
Garden fork: Shovels just don’t cut it when it comes to breaking up the hard, rocky clay soils of the Northwest.
Garden forks, also known as spading forks, are gardening workhorses. They’re good for breaking up solid ground, heavy duty weeding or renovation prep work.
Though they may look like pitchforks, they’re not. (Pitchforks have lightweight, skinny tines.)
Rocks and roots that would normally stonewall a shovel are no match for the fork.
Ames makes a variety of four-tine forged spading forks with sturdy handles and grips in the $25 range. Visit your local hardware store or see www.amestruetemper.com for a catalog, or call 800-393-1846.
NRG Weeder: Can you ever have enough weeding devices?
Tools from Radius Garden are ergonomically designed, including an Natural Radius Grip Weeder ($9.99), which gives you extra leverage thanks to a cool, curved, Shrek-green handle.
See your local garden center or www.radiusgarden.com, or call 734-222-8044.
Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037, sjackson@heraldnet.com.
