Let's look at long handled gardening tools hoes, rakes, and cultivators, and how to use them.

Avoid bad posture and poor technique and you can enjoy gardening and work more effectively.

TWO METHODS WITH LONG-HANDLED GARDENING TOOLS

short reach Equipment for U.K. Organic Gardeners

long reach

Stand easy side on to the job plot; like a sword fencer. There are two handling methods.

Short Reach Method - 'gondolier method'

Hold the top end of the handle in a fist grip at about shoulder height and push down. The second hold is another fist grip lower down the handle.

Long Reach Method

The rear hand grips the end of the tool handle with thumb aligned along shaft at about waste height and works backward and forwards.
The leading hand grips the tool part way along the shaft and presses down. (For a more natural ergonomic hold you can attach side handle grips (U.S.A. link) )

140cm handle = 83cm reach Don't forget: Push & pull rear hand, lift & press for hand, flex knees, back straight.

Stand with the back straight, not stooped. Avoid using the back to push and pull the cultivator. This is work for arm muscles. A slight bend and flex of the knees helps to take the strain adjust your height and keep the back straight. Avoid cramps by gently warming up your muscles before the work starts.

Note: My 175cm interchangeable tool handle is from Wolf gardening tools; my 140cm handle from a Spear & Jackson 'County' Rake. Described as 'long-handled' the rake reaches small borders comfortably, but the tool head works at a steeper angle.

Stages In Cultivation

• Clear off the weeds with hoe or dig land over with spade.
• Loosen compressed soil, break down larger soil aggregates with tined cultivator.
• For seed sowing break down soil further into fine bread crumb sized particles using a Soil Mill. This is also beneficial prior to planting.
• Rake soil bed level and rake seed drills.

Weed and Cultivate

WEED CLEARANCE - LONG HANDLED CULTIVATOR

Dad's best gardening tool for clearing surface weeds off well-tilled soil. 3 notches are flanked by blades. The weeds are funnelled between the flanks. The blade lifts the soil and cuts the weeds. You can't expect this tool to work smoothly over large hard soil clods. But otherwise it will effectively slice and loosen up ground prior to finer cultivation (with Soil Mill or Rake).

Although you can push or pull you get better control by drawing the cultivator towards you. The blade keeps its level under the soil. The weeds pile up in front of the blade. Always stand upright when using long-handled gardening tools. A stooped position weakens the back and may lead to muscle spasm. Check out this Multi-Change 15cm wide, Push-Pull Weeder U.K.
**U.S.A. gardeners check details here.

TINED SOIL CULTIVATOR

The select gardening tool for loosening the top 4 inches of soil - better than a fork for this. The tines flatten to chisel or arrow shaped ends. Dig the tines into the soil and draw toward you. The cultivator should keep its level under the surface. The modern more robust steel gardening tools can take on heavier soils - take a look at Wolf Multi-change gardening tool heads.

SOIL MILL - STAR WHEEL CULTIVATOR

The best of gardening tools for fine cultivation. The Soil Mill pictured right is a Wolf Multi-Change tool head which slots into my tool handle.
Check out the Wolf multi-change Soil Mill - U.S.A.
U.K. gardeners check out the Wolf Multi-Change Soil Mill here.

It has a small roller with star points that dig into the soil and break it apart. At the rear is a oscillating hoe bar that keeps the tool level and lifts soil. I was able to push this tool back and forth over cloddy soil. It broke down beautifully in no time.

While the rake has a tendency to compress soil and only cultivate skin deep, the Soil Mill creates bread crumb soil particles in depth. This fine soil structure is ideal. It rapidly conducts water to roots and releases locked up nutrients.

Only now can we use a rake.

LONG HANDLED RAKE

Soil lumps larger than an inch or so pile up in front of the rake. So a rake only comes into real use after the soil is finely tilled.

The star wheeled Soil Mill is probably the best gardening tool for breaking down to a fine tilth ready for the rake and sowing.

What about the rake?

• Create a tilthe of fine soil crumbs by using the rake tines to draw soil. Large soil lumps are drawn to one end of the rake where they can be crushed.
• More advanced rakes have recurved tines that lifts the soil when drawing and rides over soil better when pushing.
• Crush larger soil clods with the back and face of rake.
• Level up the surface using the back of the rake as a guide.
• Insert a short seed drill by moving the back of the rake from side to side.
• Cover the seed by drawing the back of the rake diagonally across the drill.

Safety with gardening tools:- Always leave rakes standing head up.

Long handled tools include Dutch hoe, tined cultivator, rake, and the like. There are traditional long handled tools and shorter long handled tools. The shorter long handled tools reach the soil about one yard infront of your rear foot. That's OK for small borders but the angle of the tool head especially rakes is a bit steep. The main advantage is space saving.

More on long handled gardening tools coming very soon.

BOTTOM OF THE GARDEN - more information and links

• Compare compost bin designs - advantages of recycled plastic & wood - my compost making methods
• More on design of large gardening tools - more on spades, forks, interchangeable tool heads, & garden hand tools
• Organic Weed Control - how to keep weeds down without nasty weed killers
• Compare Garden Shredders -

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