Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Test the lift you need by setting the shovel at a straight angle so the head is straight, not angled as
most people dig. You want your arms to be fully extended in front of you so when you pull your
arms to your body, you will get the maximum lift, and use the least amount of work. If you have
to push the handle past your body toward the ground you'll strain your back and tire yourself out
faster. Check out the video at BackyardFarmingGuide.com for a demonstration of good digging
technique.
As a woman, I should mention that it is important to find a shovel that is also the right height for
your body. I like the D handle shovels both to get the proper lift and to be able to grip the end of
the handle without overbalancing myself. I have to be picky about the shovel I choose! I also use
my lower body to push the shovel in, so it's important to me that the step plate, or top edge of the
shovel that you can mash on with your foot for extra oomph, is wide and well formed, instead of
skinny and painful to step on. The bottom line is that you want your shovel to be comfortable
because you'll be using it. A lot.
Transplanting shovels, like transplanting spades, are long and thin shovels designed to get into
more crowded growing areas. This is a tool that when you need it, proves its value on the first
use by saving your other plants growing near the plant you're trying to dig up. If you don't have a
transplanting shovel, a garden fork might work well instead.
A square shovel, or cutting spade, is rectangle shaped. It's often used in landscaping to create the
clean-cut edges between planter beds and lawns. We tend to use it as a muck shovel because the flat
blade surface will scrape up the manure off the floor of the goat pen or chicken house more easily.
For that alone it will save you enough time and trouble to make it worth the purchase. Again, a
comfortable grip is an absolute must because soggy hay and manure can be heavy by the shovelful.
Garden Rake
This isn't your springy, wimpy, autumn leaf rake. This is a true garden rake. Forged metal with
tines that are stiff instead of yielding, the garden rake is heavy but moves easily over fresh-tilled
soil. Nothing is better for creating a nice seedbed for planting small seeds than a good garden rake.
You can push it deeper into the soil to loosen dirt clods and fish out rocks, or you can float it over
the surface to create a fine seedbed for outdoor sowing.
The handle should be long enough to extend your reach across the full width of your garden bed
(we have our garden sections 4 feet wide) without bending over or overreaching. Ours is actually
completely metal with a metal handle and rake both making it balanced to maneuver, if heavy to
actually lift and carry around. The heaviness of the rake means it will also move wet or soiled hay
from the goat pen and rake it into a pile more easily. A leaf rake would just skip over the top of the
muck and not actually move it into a pile.
