Gardeners often struggle with a limited range of garden hand tools. Organic gardeners in particular benefit from having specialised tools for the job. (I hope you're not weeding with a small hand fork.)

I find it makes a world of a difference to have the right tool. This link goes to the tools that are specially designed for your small gardening jobs.

Natural posture, size & shape of normal hand grip.

Easi-Grip Fork Conventional tool handles can also be adapted with Peta Easi-Grip add-ons. details on these links

'Garden Gnome' style trowel handle - when pushed they are hard to grip.

Handle should not be too long, from thumb to palm center. See below.

Below I reveal from my practical experience how the design of garden hand tools can turn work into pleasure.

Some garden hand tools are a pleasure to use because they work in harmony with the human body, like a seamless extension to your limbs with added leverage. I call them 'organic gardening tools', also described as 'ergonomic'. Ergonomic Hand Tools by Gardeners Supply - Vermont

A BENT WRIST LEADS TO STRAIN
Traditional garden hand tools have straight handles mainly because they're easier to make. But when working with hand trowels and forks this causes the wrist to be bent down. So why not bend the tool handle into a vertical instead. New materials make it possible.

Peta Easi Grip - U.K. link ergonomic tools and handles made for arthritic gardeners ( U.S.A. Link ) show how handles should be made. This arrangement leaves the wrist in a strong comfortable posture. It relies less on grip strength but has more purchase for pushing into soil. This design advantage also applies to able-bodied gardeners, even if it is a little unconventional.

THE TRADITIONAL GARDENING HAND TOOL
HANDLE CONTOUR
Old style trowel and small-fork handles have a pronounced waist to fit the thumb position which is aligned lengthwise. OK it feels comfortable to hold - but when you push it into soil the down facing contour is hard to grip, leaves the thumb to take excessive strain and that's uncomfortable - Improved handle styles are shorter and the waist is hardly apparent... You need to get your upper palm over the top of the handle. Of course this advice doesn't apply to pulling or chopping tools like a grubber, small mattock or hand circle hoe.

GET MORE GRIP ON CROSS-SECTION
A square profile is hard to turn on a lathe. Gardening tool handles have a cylindrical shape simply because it’s easy to make. Some gardeners believe this shape is better. ~: But round surfaces seem to provide less hand contact.

Weed & Planting Knife - chunky square handle & thumb rest to easily push & twist.

A square handle presses into the angles of the joints giving a better grip and importantly making it easy to twist. I find them more comfortable too.

Plastic or rubber moulded tool handles usually solve the problem. They often include a hole to hang the tool up. Most Wolf Garden Hand Tools have a chunky handle.

WIDER HANDLES
Narrow tool handles save on cost and weight, but they waste your grip power and over-clench your hand. With a wider handle you can apply more pressure for a positive firmer grip.

Narrow handles can sometimes be corrected by pulling on a cover of foam insulation, like that used to insulate pipes. But that won't be solid when pushing into soil.

This Wolf Garden Hand Trowel has the wider handle I look for in a garden hand tool.
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HANDLING LEVERAGE

The neck of a garden hand fork should have a Z-shaped attachment with the handle. This provides significant leverage. A straight neck makes the job much harder. The Wolf Garden Hand Fork has a Z-shaped neck.

GETTING A HANDLE ON TOOLS
What is a tanged fork?
What is a ferrule?
A tang is the metal spike that is pushed into the wood handle for attachment. A ferrule is a metal collar pushed onto the handle to secure the wood from splitting around the attachment.

The Wolf Multi-Change and Gardena Combisystem tools include short-handle and long handle attachements for small garden hand tools. So you can change a grubber, mattock, hoe, trowel, or fork tool head, to and fro being a hand tool or a long handled tool.

MORE CARE FOR WOOD
Being an earth friendly organic gardener, wood may be your choice material. Remember that wood needs more care. Clean after every use, and apply a protective coat of linseed oil once or twice a year.

Organic gardeners beware! Linseed oil has gained a reputation for causing mildew, so nowadays the product often contains a fungicide! Please send me any feedback on this issue.

When small garden hand tools get misplaced or lost you begin to wish for bright coloured handles that are easily seen. The S&J County range includes hand fork, wide and narrow trowel and daisy grubber, has light coloured wood handles slightly wider at the top and lacking the shaped waist.

The Spear & Jackson Heritage Garden Trowel and Hand Fork has a slightly bulbous handle of darker wood - the Heritage range is slightly dearer.

I find moulded plastic handles to be better.

METAL QUALITY
Polished stainless steel is the best - both hard and corrosion resistant (Wolf tools).

Beware of garden hand tools made from cheap thin metal that relies on a U-shaped form for strength. They're noticeably light. Epoxy powder coating won't help either; if it bends, it breaks.

PROTECTIVE LAYERS
Stainless steel doesn't need a protective layer. Garden hand tools of other metals have anti-corrosion protection - gloss paint (c.f. Gardena tools), or an epoxy powder coating. The gloss and polished surfaces also resist soil adhesion.
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Your choice of garden hand tool design will also be influenced by unique factors such as soil conditions, plus the size and strength of the gardener.

The right garden hand tool for your job

U.K. Gardeners click here for details on any of the tools described below

Don't begin a laborious garden job with the first tool you come across. A hand fork and trowel are not the ideal choice for weeding.

But there are many tools designed for specific tasks and I've discovered how they lighten the work load and get the job done fast.

GRUBBER

The Grubber feels like a comfortable and sturdy extension of the hand. It's down pointing prongs are used to drag out the annual weeds, clean off the soil surface, and loosen up the soil. Pull away from cultivated plants and you won't damage them.

U.K. Gardeners: find the Hand Grubber or Multi-Change Tool Head here.

American Gardeners: checkout the Grubber here

CULTIWEEDER
The Cultiweeder combines the Grubber prongs with a hoe bar. The bar slices off green weed tops and lifts the soil. I use the Cultiweeder around lawn edges every time I mow and find it very useful. This is a good all around hand weeder and cultivator.

U.K. Gardeners: find the Cultiweeder Multi-Change Hand Tool with handle here - see the range of Multi-Change Cultivators here.

American Gardeners: checkout the Culti-Weeder here

WEEDING AND PLANTING KNIFE
Has a sharp ended narrow tough blade that can be driven in deeply and twisted. The comfortable chunky handle has a thumb rest. Good for weeding, loosing soil and planting. Use to lift dandelions in lawns. Better than a narrow trowel.

U.K. Gardeners: Click here to see the Planting Knife

I find Wolf garden hand tools better than any - tough, easy to handle, they do the job well -
American Gardeners: Search For Wolf Garden Tools at Amazon

DAISY GRUBBER
Has a notch between 2 prongs for taking out small weeds individually, the elbow provides leaverage on tough weeds. Use on daisies, buttercups, Plaintains etc... ... and weeding lawns.

SOIL SCOOP
For planting in soil and containers and loosening root bound plants. Better than a garden trowel for making planting holes.

GARDEN HAND TROWEL
Sometimes mistakenly used like a small spade with thrusting and leverage, but this requires a loose well-tilled soil. Instead use it for moving compost from bags into pots or planting holes.

PLANTING HOE OR SMALL MATTOCK
Use this tool with a stricking action for digging small holes for planting and for loosening soil. Also for lifting fibrous rooted crops.

DOUBLE PRONGED FORK
Has two round section tines. Use in rockeries and for loosening around plant roots without damaging plants.

SMALL GARDEN CLAW
Consists of chisel ended prongs on a horizontal handle. Effective at loosing soil and light weeding but requires a twisting action which can lead to strain.

GARDEN HAND FORK
I always find the small hand fork to be of limited value in weeding and small cultivation… Soil penetration is easier and root disturbance less with round section tines. Flat tines are more effective at breaking and lifting soil.

BACK FOR THE SHED - more information and links on garden hand tools

GARDENER'S INTERNET: GONEGARDENING - large & comprehensive stock of garden shed tools for U.K. gardeners ON OTHER WEBSITES:	MORE ON THIS WEBSITE: Larger Tools By Design - about the design of digging & cultivating tools Long-Handled Tools Design & Use - they require technique & some are better than others Bags & wheelies, - to tidy & remove garden waste easily Compare compost bin designs - advantages of different compost bin designs, (recycled plastic & wood) for making garden compost ^ Top of page
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