Taking care of your own garden or cultivating a home vegetable garden is an increasingly popular hobby.
Contact with nature seems to be an excellent anti-stress against the frenzy that characterizes our times. Furthermore, according to several studies, this activity helps to keep fit and is good for health by promoting a better lifestyle.
The fact is that the number of gardening and horticulture enthusiasts is constantly growing.
If you are also part of this category or want to start taking your first steps in this world full of satisfactions, you should know that, in addition to choosing plants, flowers or vegetables best suited to your soil and the climate of your region, you will also have to rely on the right tools.
In fact, for each operation you need to carry out, there are specific garden and vegetable garden tools that perform very specific functions , starting with those for preparing the soil.
In addition to the activities to be performed, the size of your land and your level of experience should guide you in your choice.
Lightness and ease of handling are the essential requirements to take into consideration when choosing some hand tools that are essential for working the land.
If you have some pots on your balcony to use for flowers or vegetables, you should know that there are also smaller versions, with the same functionality, of the larger tools.
In general, if your garden or vegetable patch is medium/small in size, you won't have to spend a fortune to have everything you need to get to work .
In this article we will see:
- What are the essential tools for gardening?
- Weeders and hoes to quickly remove weeds at the root
- How to choose the best lawnmower for your land
- 6 Small Tools for Growing a Small Vegetable Garden or on the Balcony
What are the essential tools for gardening?
The soil preparation phase is fundamental to the future success of your garden or vegetable garden .
A well-worked soil will offer your crops the ideal conditions for their optimal growth.
Remember that to save time and effort it is essential to plan the work according to the weather conditions, and that some months of the year are suitable for carrying out specific activities.
The ideal time to prepare the soil is autumn/winter unless you live in a particularly cold region. In this case it is better to wait until the frosts are over to make the soil workable.
First you will need to loosen the soil to bring the deeper layers to the surface and thus reduce the growth of weeds.
The choice of garden tools to use at this stage will depend greatly on the size of your field or garden.
For small vegetable gardens or gardens, traditional manual tools are perfect . If your land is rather large, you will need to use a motorized machine.
3 Gardening Hand Tools Everyone Should Have
The cultivation of the land originates from the peasant tradition and its tools also derive from it.
Despite the passage of time, manual ones remain the best tools for working the land that should not be missing even if you have a large plot of land.
When choosing, it is essential to opt for sturdy materials and pay attention to the length of the handles so that it is proportionate to your height.
The main ones are :
- The spade , essential for loosening the soil in depth and eliminating weeds and any roots that may have survived old crops.
- The hoe . Thanks to its multifunctionality, it is the oldest and best-known tool for working the land. In addition to breaking the soil into clods , the hoe is used to eliminate the roots of weeds, dig channels, earth up plants, trace furrows for sowing or transplanting, and hoe around plants to soften the surface crust that often forms on the soil to ensure its oxygenation.
- The rake, in addition to cleaning and leveling the soil, preparing it for sowing or transplanting, is useful for incorporating fertilizer and burying seeds .
As you can see, to start growing a small vegetable garden or a garden you really only need a few inexpensive tools.
Back-saving garden tools: cultivator and tiller
If the land is quite large and working it by hand would be too tiring, you can get help from a motorized tool such as a motor hoe or a cultivator.
The first obvious difference between the two machines is the presence of wheels in the motor cultivator which are absent in the motor hoe.
Both work the soil using a tiller whose function is to break up clods and turn over soil and roots, carrying out the work that you would manually do with a hoe.
Advantages and disadvantages of the motor hoe
Having no wheels, the motor hoe moves forward thanks to the traction of the cutter which advances as it works the soil.
Its main features are:
- Excellent for working in depth, but rather tiring to use . The jolts due to the irregularities of the ground can be felt through the arms
- It allows you to choose how much to insist and to work more accurately.
- It is easy to handle
- Perfect for working between rows and for turning even in tight spaces
- It is suitable for relatively small and even impervious vegetable gardens
In the Millstore shop you can choose between different models of motor hoes and spare parts based on your specific needs.
Advantages and disadvantages of the motor cultivator
As we have already mentioned, the motor cultivator is equipped with wheels and this is what determines the main differences compared to the motor hoe.
This machine :
- It moves forward at a constant speed
- It makes the work less tiring but it is also less manageable
- It has a higher cost than the previous one
- It allows you to replace the cutter with other accessories, transforming it into a multifunctional tool
Given the rather high price, the choice of this vegetable garden tool is only suitable for large plots of land .
Weeders and hoes to quickly remove weeds at the root
The success of your vegetable garden or garden also requires some maintenance work after sowing or transplanting, in particular regarding cleaning from weeds.
In this regard , the weeder is a convenient and practical tool for eliminating even the most stubborn weeds from the ground in a faster and less tiring way.
Another very useful tool for the garden is the weeder , a manual tool with multiple functions :
- Improves air circulation in the soil
- Removes weeds
- It promotes the penetration of solar heat into the subsoil
- It reduces the rate of water evaporation, ensuring the roots have the right level of humidity.
If you choose to use this tool, remember to be careful not to go too deep and damage the root system of your plants.
Weed about four weeks after sowing and only thereafter in case of drought to loosen and oxygenate the parched soil.
How to choose the best lawnmower for your land
If you have a garden and want to keep your lawn always neat and tidy, you definitely can't do without a lawnmower.
Manual, electric, battery-powered or petrol-powered, the fundamental criterion that you will have to keep in mind when choosing is linked to the size of your land and which we can summarise as follows :
-
Small gardens, up to 300 m2
For a small lawn a manual or battery-powered lawnmower may be sufficient, otherwise you can opt for an electric lawnmower with a cutting width of up to 33 cm. -
Medium gardens, up to 500 m2
Choose an electric, battery-powered or petrol-powered lawnmower with a cutting width of 34 to 42 cm -
Large gardens, up to 1000 m2
For large gardens, opt for a lawnmower with a cutting width of 43 to 50 cm. -
Very large gardens, over 1000 m2
In this case, you will need a petrol-powered all-purpose lawnmower with a cutting width of 51 to 56 cm.
Remember that the lawn needs regular and frequent interventions to remain beautiful, strong and healthy.
In the summer you will therefore have to cut your lawn every ten days or so, keeping in mind that the height of the grass should never exceed 10 cm , not only for aesthetic reasons but also and above all to prevent the development of weeds.
6 Small Tools for Growing a Small Vegetable Garden or on the Balcony
Regardless of whether you have a vegetable garden, a garden and, above all, if you only have a few pots on the balcony, you will need small tools to take care of your plants or vegetables .
We are talking about small hand tools, many of which are miniature copies of the equivalent large tools, but specific for precision work and for small spaces.
Let's see the main ones :
- Planter useful for planting your seedlings in the vegetable garden or in the garden with extreme ease
- Three-tooth hoe , to loosen the surface crust of the soil, allowing it to be aerated and freed from weeds
- Hoe , possibly also equipped with a double-pronged blade, to periodically move the soil thus also promoting the absorption of nutrients supplied through fertilization
- Rake , useful for preparing the seedbed and burying the seeds
- Broom , to always keep handy to remove dead leaves and any soil that falls from the pot
- Scissors and saws of the most varied types, depending on the operations they are intended for, such as pruning or harvesting vegetables
In addition to using the most suitable tools, when working the land it is also important to wear the right clothing, both for a question of comfort but also and above all of safety .
In particular, don't forget to protect your hands from scratches, cuts and irritation by choosing the type of gloves that best suit your needs : cotton for light and non-dangerous jobs and more robust ones if you have to use scissors and saws.
Also remember to always clean all your garden and vegetable tools after use and store them in a closed and dry place to avoid the formation of bacteria and rust.
Get advice from your trusted dealer
We have seen how to take care of a vegetable garden or a garden it is essential to have some essential tools.
The investment you will have to make will depend a lot on the size of your land and also on the time you have to dedicate to it.
In fact, if your surface is medium/small, the necessary tools are decidedly simple and economically affordable .
The advice, especially if you are a beginner, is to turn to a dealer who can advise and guide you in choosing the most suitable tools for your vegetable garden or your garden based on the type of your land and the activities you need to carry out.
The Millstore team of experts is available to provide you with all the information you need and to support you in choosing both tools and seeds, plants, irrigation systems, fertilizers and everything you need to successfully grow your vegetable garden and to always have a perfect garden.
With the convenience of receiving the goods directly to your home in 24/48 hours.
