How to Simplify Lawn Care and Gardening With the Right Tools

Simple tools such as a pitchfork and shovel can make your gardening and lawn care chores easier.

Lawn care and gardening can consume a lot of time and expense if you're missing what you need to get the job done. To simplify your seasonal outdoor chores, choose the simplest, most efficient tools for the job. Complex mechanical devices might be more trouble to maintain, troubleshoot and repair, as well as costlier to operate. Choose high-quality, sturdy tools that can withstand tough handling. Care for your tools by storing them indoors to be sure they'll work for you when you need them.

Things You'll Need

• Hand pruners
• Loppers
• Dethatching rake
• Grass rake
• Leaf rake
• Garden cultivator
• Steel rake
• Pitchfork
• Lawn mower
• Spade
• Shovel
• Hoe
• Wheelbarrow or garden cart

Instructions

1. Prune grapevines and small trees when they are dormant in late winter. Use hand pruners or secateurs on branches and vines less than 1 inch thick. Use long-handled loppers on thicker branches and to clip off unwanted roots.

2. Remove dead grass, leaves and twigs from your lawn in early spring with a dethatching rake. This metal-pronged rake is designed to dig down below the grass line to dislodge materials and carry them up to the surface.

3. Rake up thatch and winterkill with a metal-tined grass rake. For loose surface leaves, use a long-tined plastic leaf rake.

4. Till small gardens and beds with a simple garden cultivator. Its sharp prongs will unearth the soil and bring weeds, grasses and roots to the surface.

5. Smooth tilled soil level with a short-tined steel garden rake. Use the flat rake-top to break up soil clods.

6. Turn compost materials with a long-tined garden fork or pitchfork. You may also use this tool to scatter straw mulch and stack clipped brush.

7. Keep your lawn trim and neat with a lawn mower. A mulching attachment will let you avoid tedious lawn raking during the growing season.

8. Remove sod and shape planting holes with a sturdy garden spade. Use a steel, pointed shovel to dig holes, apply mulch, transfer bedding plants and unearth root masses.

9. Dislodge weeds and grasses from garden beds with a pointy-ended garden hoe. You may also use the hoe to keep the border clear between your flower beds and lawn.

10. Transport your lawn and garden tools from site to site in a wheelbarrow or garden cart. This will help you keep track of your items and reduce chances you'll leave them behind when your chores are done.

References

• University of Vermont Extension : Garden Tools of the Trade
• "The Garden Primer"; Barbara Damrosch; 1998