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Paul Rogers: Choose the right tool for job in the garden Comment By Paul Rogers More Content Now MailTribune.com By Paul Rogers More Content Now Posted Mar. 30, 2015 at 8:28 AM By Paul Rogers More Content Now Posted Mar. 30, 2015 at 8:28 AM » Social News Gardeners should be aware of the vast array of tools that are available to make the arduous aspects of horticulture easier. This spring, like any spring, there are numerous tasks that will need to be accomplished. Some jobs are repetitive and dull. Other tasks will challenge our strength and ability. Finally, there are chores that require a specialized tool if the job is to be done right. Don’t waste your time reinventing the wheel. Do not consume time and energy bulldozing your way to completion of a worrisome task using a tool that is not right for the job. You are not the first gardener who has faced a particular task. Homeowners have always repaired damaged lawns, pruned broken branches and prepared the ground for new gardens. To broaden your awareness of the tools and supplies available to ease your efforts to repair and upgrade your property, numerous books offer guidance. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden published a handy guide, “Essential Tools.” The folks at Fine Gardening expanded the tool listings and added color in “Garden Tools & Equipment.” Smith & Hawken offers “the bible of garden tools” in “The Tool Book for the Well-Tended Garden” with 300 well-organized pages. Your time would be better spent perusing the pages of a tool and supply catalog like A.M. Leonard Co. (241 Fox Drive, Piqua, OH 45356, 800-543-8955, amleo.com ). The professional-grade quality tools will last you a lifetime. For 130 years, this company has been supplying America’s serious horticulturists. You will need several rakes this spring: one to rake up the debris left from the winter and another to rake over the mulch to fluff it up and grade the added soil where snowplows and snowblowers lost their way. For the debris raking will you choose a wooden, bamboo or composite handle? Will the flex-tined head be 18, 24 or 30 inches wide, or do you need an 8-inch-wide rake that will work under shrubs and between perennials? When rakes are mentioned, you may picture a steel-headed, wooden-handled tool for smoothing the soil in the vegetable garden or grading mulch, stone or soil. If so, are you best served by selecting a straight-headed or bow rake, curved or straight tooth, ash handle or composite, 18- or 24-inch head? Note, the weight of the rakes varies considerably, and the flexible headed rakes have handles that are 8 inches or more shorter than grading rakes for good and sufficient reasons. There is so much to learn about tools! Shovels, spades, knives, cultivators, hoes, pruners, saws, gloves, watering aids and myriad other tools and supplies await your selection. Choose wisely. The tool and your height should match, as should pruning shears and the size of your hand. The correct tool is a valued partner in your gardening activities. Paul Rogers is a columnist for The Worcester (Mass.) Telegram & Gazette. By Paul Rogers More Content Now MailTribune.com By Paul Rogers More Content Now Posted Mar. 30, 2015 at 8:28 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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