Choosing ToolsGetting Started on the Allotment
A basic set of tools for growing your own vegetables or your allotment should be:- Spade, Fork, Hoe, Rake and Trowel.
These will cover all the stages of vegetable growth from soil preparation to harvest. Spades, Forks & Shovels Getting the right spade and fork will save you time and aches and pains.
Soil preparation is hard work unless you have perfect crumbly soil and work out regularly, most people do not! Things to consider when choosing
Soil type – If you have heavy soil with roots and stones to deal with, you will need a strong spade or fork.
Your height – The length of the spade or fork can make a difference to the overall comfort when digging all day.
Each supplier can have a different handle length, it can vary from 28" to 21".
Border spades and forks are about 2" shorter than digging varieities.
Blade Size - Spades and forks come in two varieties - Digging or Border.
Digging tools have wider and longer blades, both are available in two materials, forged steel & stainless steel.
Digging Spade, Digging Shovel or Digging Hoe?
Digging shovels and digging hoes are alternatives to spades.
Digging shovels have long handles which prevent back injury and helps dig heavy soils by using leverage rather than back muscles.
Digging hoes also have long handles and use the power of leverage to move soil and can be used for weeding. Spades & Fork TypesDigging Variety | Border Variety | Wider & Longer blades | Narrower & Shorter blades | Longer overall length | Shorter overall length | Heavier | Lighter |
| Stainless Steel | Stronger than stainless | Not as strong as forged | Heavier | Lighter | Coated to prevent corrosion | Corrosion resistant | Coated to prevent soil adhesion | Easy cleaning |
Choosing Digging Tools - Guidelines | Men | Ladies | Children | Heavy Soil | Forged Digging - Spade/Fork
Digging Shovel
Heavy Duty Digging Hoe | Forged Border - Spade/Fork
Digging Shovel
Heavy Duty Digging Hoe | Don’t Dig | Medium Soil | Stainless Digging - Spade/Fork
Digging Shovel
Digging Hoe | Stainless Border - Spade/Fork
Digging Shovel
Digging Hoe | Kids range - Spade/Fork | Light Soil | Stainless Digging - Spade/Fork
Digging Shovel
Digging Hoe | Stainless Border -Spade/Fork
Digging Shovel
Digging Hoe | Kids range - Spade/Fork |
Click on these links to see the toolsSpades | Forks | Shovels | Hoes |
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Choosing Rakes & HoesHoes Three types of hoe are common for grow your own or allotments, the digging hoe or azada, and the Dutch and Draw hoe
The Digging hoe is a tool used across the world for digging and weeding, the Chillington hoe is the most famous.
The Dutch hoe is primarily used for weeding, pushing the blade flat along the soil, cutting the weeds down as you go.
The Draw hoe can be used for weeding and moving soil, such as earthing soil up around potatoes or creating a drill to plant seeds.
Dutch and Draw hoes come in forged and stainless steel, your soil type will help decide.
Digging hoes are made from forged steel to give them added strength.
Rakes A good rake is essential for creating a smooth planting surface once you have dug the plot.
Dig the plot, break up the lumps and then rake to create as smooth a growing surface as you can.
Rakes as with the other tools come in forged or stainless steel.
Click on these links to see the tools
Choosing Trowels Trowels come in two basic shapes, standard width and transplanting.
The standard trowel is an all round trowel to move your seedlings and shovel soil or compost into pots etc.
The broad blade can also be used to create large holes in the soil for transplanting bigger plants.
For smaller seedlings a transplanting trowel is best.
Its narrow blade makes smaller holes perfect for your seedlings.
Both varieties come in forged and stainless steel.Click on these links to see the tools
Tools Maintenance Keeping all tools in good condition lengthens the life and makes them easier to use.
Sharpening
Spades and Hoes are cutting tools so sharpening them every now and then will make the digging / weeding easier.
Use a sharpening stone or a file to take the blunt edge off the blade.
Forks & Rakes need little sharpening but both will work better if kept clean.
Cleaning
Use a stiff brush or a scraper to remove soil sticking to any tools before putting them away.
This saves time when you next come to use them, and reduces the risk of corrosion when wet soil is left on the tools.
See our tools maintenance section - here |
