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Of course a good pair of pruners for our family is a must but what other tools or products do you feel are the most important?
Maybe not the best tool around, but if you need to dig in rocky soil or remove modest brush, I find that a mattock is really useful. One end of the head is for cutting, while the other end may be a pick or a smaller cutting blade, depending on the style. I have a small wooded area at the back of our lot here in Wisconsin, and it’s full of invasive buckthorn. A few swipes at the base with the mattock severs the roots, and I can pull a six foot buckthorn out easily.
If you have a larger area to clear, check out the Uprooter. I’ve used one of those several times and it pulls up saplings without a lot of back effort.
I am thinking the Large Unbreakable Wine Glass is a winner as long as someone has wine to put in it!!
One more thing on the mattock. In Maryland, I had a patch of bamboo to remove. Each year I cut out most of the old growth at the ground, so this wasn’t a mature patch, the shoots were about an inch in diameter. Over the course of a couple of months I cut the shoots to the ground, then attacked with the mattock. The mattock chopped thru the rhizomes, and then I could pry the rhizomes out of the ground using the mattock like a lever. (That is, putting the blade under the rhizome and pushing/pulling the handle toward the ground to exert pressure under the rhizome.) A lot of work, but it cleared the area.
I deserved a big glass of wine for that job. Maybe a case.
Did the same thing to a huge stand of bamboo using my mattock just as Larry did. Took a season or two to get everything out.
I do love my mattock for whaling away at bamboo roots, however I did tear a tendon in my shoulder that way. Now, I teach younger and tougher folks how to use it. Shades of Tom Sawyer!
Truly the tool that is never far from my hands (along with my Felco pruners!) is a Korean hand plow. With that I plant bulbs, dig weeds and dig holes for setting plugs or other smaller plants. When ever I use it and there is another gardener nearby, they invariably want to try it out.
So when you say you teach younger and tougher folks how to use the mattock, does that mean at your home? On the job experience? What a great idea!
I think I am going to buy a Korean hand plow. Just looked it up and it does look like a great tool. I will gift it to my husband 😉
I am very impressed with everyone that can swing a mattock! I tried once and failed. Need to work on that.
Stephanie, you do have to learn how to use a mattock. Many people want to push the blade into the soil on the down stroke rather than letting the weight do the work. You may not remember, but I taught tool selection and use at Behnke a couple of times. I also include a module on tool selection, use and care in some of the courses I teach at college.
I clearly have no idea the correct way to use one. I know you had so many great classes at Behnke’s. I only wish someone had filmed them.
Hmm. It’s hard to pick! I have a bunch of things that have been essential in turning a property that was mostly lawn into one that is more diverse and interesting [not to mention, cooler, now that there are mature trees!)
- Heavy duty garden fork, for breaking up clay soil
- Maze garden composter, for turning clippings, shredded bills, and coffee grounds into good soil
- Folding Japanese pruning saw
- Folding bench/kneeler
- Assorted shovels and trowels
- Felco pruners
AND….not a thing, but a person: an incredibly patient spouse who loves roses, berries, and even the sunchokes that I harvest every so often.
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