©: Jeff Ball

Transplant shovel, Digging shovel, and Transfer shovel

The tools described in this section involve digging and have a long handle; a trowel is in the next section. Here we talk about shovels, spades, forks, and such.

Column by Jeff Ball

In the past three weeks I’ve dug 42 holes in which I planted all manner of shrubs. Nancy got kind of carried away this year. Last month I dug over 200 feet of vee-shaped ditches to edge our main flower bed. And next week, with stored energy from all that physical exercise, I will turn over the 600 square feet of vegetable garden and cover those beds with their winter layer of straw mulch. All those digging jobs involve working in heavy clay soil which can be a daunting challenge. After some experimenting I have settled on three tools for most digging jobs. I use a pointed shovel for digging holes. My flat edged digging spade is the tool to edge a garden bed, and my garden fork makes turning over the veggie patch less onerous than it might be. The three models of these tools I have come to prefer are made by Fiskars <a href="http://www.fiskars.com">(www.fiskars.com)</a> . They have been available for a few years, but have not taken over the consumer market by storm. I think some of the features I consider valuable may not be so important to some folks. These tools are as tough and strong as any digging tools I have ever used. The handles are made of steel rather than of more traditional hardwood. Consequently, they seem to be on the heavy side. However, I found that after using them for a period of time, because they made the job easier, the weight did not become a problem. You may think a shovel is a shovel, but these digging tools by Fiskars have at least three new design features that are unique and make them desirable. Shovels usually come in two sizes. One has a stick handle, usually hardwood, that is about 4 feet long. The other is shorter at two feet and has what is called a “D” handle on the end of the stick. All three Fiskars tools have three foot handles and all have “D” handles that are double wide and oval shaped so you can hold the shovel or spade in position to begin digging using two hands. Then over the shovel or spade blade is a bent over step for pushing down the tool with your foot. Again, not unusual except the step on these tools is twice as wide as any others. With our heavy clay soil, I can get the shovel or spade started with a push of my foot, and then I can put two hands around that oval shaped “D” handle and literally jump up on to the step of the tool with two feet. With my modest 235 pounds, that shovel will definitely go deeply into that clay. There is an ergonomic feature in the design of these tools that might go unnoticed but is a benefit when using them for a period of time. The stick part of the handle is not round like most digging tools. It has a tear(drop)shape which Fiskars found is more comfortable to the hand while repetitively picking up a load of dirt when digging that hole or edging that garden. The shovel and spade can be found at most Lowes stores. The garden fork is a bit more difficult to find at retail. All three tools are available at www.bestbudsgarden.com for $33 each. Moving Mulch After I planted those 42 shrubs, I surrounded each one with a two inch layer of finely shredded bark. To move that mulch around, I used my favorite wheel barrow, called a <a href="http://www.yardener.com/InnovativeWheelBarrow.html"> “Loadumper”</a>. The design of this tool allows you to balance the load over two pneumatic tires so that instead of having to lift the weight of the load, as with traditional wheel barrows, you push the handle down slightly and easily push the load to your (drop)site. The device has a unique hinged mechanism that allows you to dump a load precisely where you want it with little effort. The Loadumper ($200) is available at independent garden centers . On the web go to <a href="http://www.loaddumper.com">the Load Dumper Web Site</a> It’s hard to predict what Nancy’s next project might be, but if digging is needed for the job, I’ve got the tools to make the job easier. This link below takes you to our web site and our discussion of digging tools.