Garden Forks
But, here's the good news, some of them will perform several jobs quite well.
So, the average gardener will only need two forks at the most. But you will more than likely manage to get away with just one.
But like most gardeners you will want all of them, they look so tempting, hanging in their displays and don't they just look ideal for the job you have in mind? Be warned though, unless you are a professional gardener and horticulturist, you will not need more than two types of fork at the most. You should be able to get away with using just one, depending on your style and type of garden and it's size. Buy more and they will spend their entire life hanging in your garden shed looking pretty. Just look in any gardeners shed for proof.
So, what forks do you need.
Fork Heads
Fork heads, depending on the design, can range from about 14cm (5 1/2inches) to about 20.5cm (8inches) wide by about 23cm (9inches) to about 32cm(12 1/2inches) high.
The best size general digging fork head, for the average gardener, is 18cm (7inches) wide by 28cm (11inches) high.
Shafts
The shafts, also known as hefts, are mainly wooden, fiberglass or plastic coated steel cored or aluminium. Either of these types are ok and again it's more a personal choice which one you go for. Fork shafts vary in length form around 71cm (28inches) to around 121cm (48inches).
Shaft handles can be "T", "D" or "YD" in shape or have no handle at all. If choosing a "D" or "YD" handle make sure the handle is wide enough for your gloved hand to fit inside it comfortably.
Types of Garden Forks
The most common is known as a garden fork and is used for digging unprepared ground, digging heavy clay soils, digging out plants, aerating and turning soil, breaking down lumps of soil, turning and digging in compost.
The next most common used fork is a border fork and is used for the same. The head on this tool is narrower which makes it very useful for digging in confined areas, between rows of vegetables or flowers. It is ideal for the smaller person and is preferred by most female gardeners who find them easier to use.
Other types of fork include, potato fork, spiking fork, cultivator fork and Canterbury fork.
Which Fork for Which Job For Digging:
Garden forks are the first choice for digging in heavy clay soil
The border fork can also be used for digging in heavy clay soils in confined areas and is ideal for the smaller person
Other Fork Uses:
For aerating and turning soil, breaking down lumps of soil and turning compost both the garden fork and border fork.
They are both are excellent for digging out plants.
For turning manure and compost use the garden fork or border fork. Both the garden fork and the border fork are ideal for digging in manure and compost
The potato fork, with its flat tynes is ideal for lifting vegetables, especially potatoes
The spiking fork is designed to aerate lawns
The cultivator fork with its curved prongs is ideal for digging close to plants, trees and shrubs It is also useful for digging at the back of borders and beds without having to stand on the soil
Canterbury forks are used for breaking hard compacted soil or heavy clay soils
What Forks Do You Need?
For a small flower garden, a border fork is all that is needed to do any digging work
For a large flower garden a garden fork will be needed for general digging and a border fork for will be needed for digging in confined areas But you could get away with just the border fork
For a vegetable garden, a garden fork will be needed for digging heavy clay soils, a border fork for digging near and in between close planted vegetables and a potato fork will be needed for lifting vegetables. ((or don't grow potatoes) :-
Click here to ask about garden forks
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