Buying Your First House? Then You May Need a Basic Garden Tools List

If you have just bought your first house, chances are you will not have any gardening tools.

Purchasing a few basic tools will ensure you are able to keep the garden looking neat and tidy as well as being able to plant flowers and vegetables.

Garden Rake

As time goes on you can always add to your collection of tools to this basic list as they become necessary.

Garden Spade

A must have for digging soil, shifting earth and making holes. There are two main types of garden spade a digging spade and a border spade which is smaller. If you have a fair amount of soil to dig go for a digging spade, if you a weak back or arms then a border spade is a better option.

Hoe

Used for cutting weeds just below the surface of the soil in vegetable plots or borders. This action will kill annual weeds and slow down perennial weeds.

Garden Fork

Ideal for digging in stony or clay soils where a spade would have difficulty penetrating, also good for breaking up clods of soil.

Soil Rake

These are used for levelling and making fine soil ready for planting and sowing.

Lawn Rake

Indispensible in the autumn or fall for raking up leaves as well as grass cuttings and debris from your lawn.

Garden Trowel

A multipurpose tool used for weeding, planting and countless other tasks around the garden.

Secateurs or Hand Pruners

Secateurs can be used for pruning stems or twigs up to ¾ of an inch or 19mm thick. There are two main types of secateurs, bypass and anvil. Most people buy bypass as they are much better at getting in tight spaces. Due to their cutting action give a cleaner cut which helps prevent plant disease.

Watering Can

Watering cans are the best way to apply targeted water to seedlings and young plants. Because they emit a gentle spray they will not damage seedlings.

Wheelbarrow

These are useful for taking tools or compost to and from your place of work in your garden. They can be used for transporting debris to the compost heap as well as a lot of non gardening tasks.

Hand Shears

A good pair of shears will trim hedges and overhanging grass on lawn edges.

Before purchasing any garden tools its well worth doing some research. Garden tools can vary quite a bit in how they are manufactured and what materials are used. Buying a good well made garden tool will make gardening a pleasure.

Buying Your First House? Then You May Need a Basic Garden Tools List

Comparing Types of Dethatching Rakes

There are three general categories of dethatching rakes: manual, tow-behind and powered, also frequently referred to as power rakes. While they differ in price, size and operation, they will all remove excessive thatch build-up from your lawn when used properly.

Manual dethatching rakes. A good-quality manual dethatching rake should be among everyone's lawn care tools. They only cost around for a well-made rake that will continue to do a good job for 10 or more years. These rakes look similar to the more common leaf or garden rake, but the tines are very sharp along both edges. They are easy to use: just put the bottom on the tines on top of the dirt and pull the rake through the thatch layer back to your body. The thatch will come up best if you vary the direction of your strokes. It can be a bit time-consuming to do a large amount of grass this way, especially if the thatch layer is very thick, but most lawns are fine with regular manual dethatching. These rakes are also great for attacking spots that build thatch more quickly in-between overall lawn dethatching or for working on any places that were missed.

Garden Rake

Tow-behind dethatching rakes. Designed to attach to the three-point hitch of a tractor or to a riding lawn mower, these dethatchers are wider and cover more ground at a time than other types. For the best results, go over the lawn twice in a crisscross pattern. Always make sure that the dethatcher is properly attached before beginning and check to make sure the blades are going in the proper depth.

Power dethatching rakes. These machines are powered by electric or gas motors and resemble lawn mowers. The blades along the bottom are adjustable. The best models contain several height and width settings that allow versatility for the type of grass and the thickness of the thatch layer. After adjusting the blades, start dethatching and then stop to check that they are skimming the surface and pulling up the thatch correctly. Go in crossing diagonal rows or perpendicular ones to thoroughly remove the thatch. Some machines feature a collection box that will save you from having to rake up the thatch that is removed. These dethatchers can be expensive to buy (from one to several thousand dollars), but rent for around a half-day.

Comparing Types of Dethatching Rakes