Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
garden beds and adding in organic amendments such as compost or
aged animal manure. A shovel with a flat rectangular blade is used
more for prepping a garden bed. They work well for cutting edges,
stripping sod, digging holes, and prying up rocks.
Choose a shovel with a smooth, rounded shoulder at the top of the
blade to protect your feet when pressing down on the shovel. When
using the shovel, stand up straight while digging and bend your
knees when lifting. When moving material from one area to another,
turn your whole body, not just your hips. This will help protect you
from any back strains or injuries.
Garden Fork
You'll need two different garden forks. One is used for digging and
the other for turning your compost. The digging fork (sometimes
called a spading fork) is used for turning over soil, mixing in soil
amendments, lifting and breaking up clumps of soil, and harvesting
root crops. The compost fork (sometimes called a pitchfork) is ideal
for turning and moving compost, mulches, straw, green manures,
and other organic material used in or around your garden beds.
Smoothie Garden Solution
Your computer can be a useful tool for gardening. Set up a garden
chart on your computer and update it regularly with information
regarding when, where, and what you planted. Keep track of how
each plant did and how much you harvested. This will be a great
resource to look back on when planning for next season.
Your digging fork should have four broad, flat metal tines with V-
shaped ends. You want a solid fork with a bit of weight to it so that
