Not everyone has a green thumb. Some of us are challenged when it comes to gardening. That said, learning to work in your garden is extremely rewarding, and it moves you from being a brown thumb to a green thumb. Being outdoors and working with plants can be calming and healthy. If you decide you want to get into the garden and work, you need to plan and make sure you have the correct tools. Not only do you require the right tools, but you need to know how to use them. Picking up a trowel and starting to garden takes a little bit of knowledge and some energy.
The great part of gardening is it is not only about digging and weeding. It is about planning things out and setting that plan in motion. It doesn’t have to be a complex plan; you may want to make your front yard look nicer or install some flower planters for color on the window ledge. Even these basic things take a little bit of thought. What colors do you want, and are they in the sun or shade? How deep do I plant things? These things are all part of getting things ready to go and part of the fun of gardening.
While knowing what flowers you want and how to design your area is important, so is knowing what tools you need to get everything in shape. Gardening is a great creative outlet, even if you have never picked up a garden trowel before. There are lots of ideas you can find online and in garden centers. However, once you have these things in place, the real work starts. Gardening can be tiring and hot but can also offer you great rewards in the end.
The Important Tool
Working safely and efficiently means having the right tools to do the work. They are basic and don’t have to cost a lot. Having some good gloves and a trowel means you can skip the cuts and blisters while getting your garden how you want it to look.
Gloves and a trowel are the way to go. Gloves style will be a personal preference, and you can find many varieties at your home and garden center. As for a trowel, just ask a lifelong gardener about this essential tool, and they will tell you they would not work without one. A trowel will get a lot done and make the garden work substantially easier.
A trowel is a multi-use tool. It is used by professional gardeners as well as those who are new green thumbs. It is versatile, so you can use it in various ways. It can dig holes, plant seeds, dig out weeds, break hard soil up, transfer plants from pot to pot or pot to garden and mix fertilizers. You can do so many gardening chores with one trowel. While trowels aren’t just for gardening, this article will focus on those meant for gardens rather than the construction ones.
A garden trowel is a small tool that you hold in one hand with a pointed blade that may be metal, wood, or plastic. They have a long shape that curves on the sides, like a scoop. They are like a mini shovel. They fit in the hand easily but are strong enough to work with different gardening materials such as dirt, clay, mulch, fertilizer, and more.
Which Garden Trowel Should You Choose?
Garden trowels are not complicated tools, nor are they overly expensive. They are a simple tool that does not have any large technical parts to worry about. There are many brands and makes on the market, but they all tend to work on the same basic principle of a small shovel. You should not have a hard time finding one that is comfortable for you and fits your budget.
However, even though a garden trowel is not a complicated piece of gardening equipment, you still want one that is comfortable and sturdy. You don’t want blisters having it break easily. Find one at your garden center that has:
- A comfortable handle
- Try a molded one for fit
- Decide if you want light padding on the handle or plain
- Hold the in your hand to make sure the size is right
- Make sure the weight is balanced and comfortable
- Assess if it is sturdy and well made – that doesn’t mean the most expensive but one that you won’t have to replace quickly
When to Use a Gardening Trowel
We have pointed out how simple of a tool a garden trowel is. If you don’t have one or you don’t use it properly, you can find gardening to be a difficult experience. You want to make sure you don’t end up with muscle strains, blisters, or cuts. In addition to making sure your hands stay healthy, using a trowel properly will make time gardening easier, and you get better outcomes more quickly.
Knowing what the best jobs are for a garden trowel is fairly straightforward. There are garden tools for every job, and a trowel is one of them. There are many tasks it can tackle if you use it properly. Here are some things a trowel can do and that you should be aware of when heading out to the garden:
- The most obvious task for a garden trowel is digging and jobs that are related to digging. These include activity that done when planting seeds and plants, transplanting from pot to garden and vice versa. Weeding is another job that works well with a trowel. Not the type of weed wacker weeding but digging out deep weeds, so their roots are pulled and gone.
- Creating small holes. While a trowel is certainly a shovel, it is not meant for digging up large areas. It’s part of your garden toolbox and is perfect for small jobs rather than trenches, edging, and pond work.
- Choose the right blade for the work. If you have an area that is enclosed or tight in nature, then make sure to have a trowel with a narrow blade width. If you are going to weed, you will probably find the work easier if the point is sharper and the blade is flatter. It allows you to get under the root and dig the area out. In contrast, if you are digging out plants rather than weeds, you will want a blade that is scooped more and wide, so you do not damage the root system and can pull the plant out easily.
Using a Garden Trowel Properly
While using a garden trowel is straightforward and common sense, there are some basic hints you can follow to make sure you stay away from getting sore hands:
- Use gardening gloves with your trowel. It doesn’t matter how padded or molded the handle is, if you use them without gloves, you are leaving yourself open to blisters and hand strain. Gloves also keep your hands protected from a fungus that can be in the dirt and irritate and open sores you may have.
- Digging with a trowel is easy once you have your garden planned out. The tip goes in first, and then the pressure will push it down. Make sure not to lean too heavily on it and pry as that can snap the handle. Dig around and object to loosen it, then use the trowel or a bigger shovel to get it out. A trowel should never go in past the tang (the part between the handle and the blade). It isn’t designed to hold pressure in that way.
- Use it as a finesse tool where needed. Because it is small and easy to maneuver, it can be great for dealing with small projects such as in-between rocks and fencing.
Final Thoughts
Whether you are an experienced gardener or one who is just starting, having a garden trowel in your tool kit is a must. They are perfect for many outdoor jobs, no matter how big or small of a garden project you are taking on. If you are a beginner, make sure not to buy the cheapest garden trowel on the market. You want sturdy and comfortable. You do not need to spend a fortune, but finding one that you don’t have to replace after your first foray into the garden is important. Many are reasonable cost and good quality with all the features you need to make gardening a positive experience.
There are many tools you can add to your gardening toolbox, but a gardening trowel is one of the most versatile. Digging, weeding, and planting with one will turn an inexperienced gardener into someone who will garner compliments over their newly acquired green thumb.