Digging to find the right shovel
Garden shovels are like good potato chips: you can’t have just one.
For the many types of digging we do in our gardens, the proper tool for the job makes it all so much more enjoyable.
For planting/transplanting large perennials or shrubs, turning over the soil in a vegetable bed or shovelling compost or mulch, I prefer to use my standard round point shovel.
The shovel that is great for digging out plants in tight spaces or that are deep rooted is called, in most stores, a drain shovel.
This shovel has a longer, narrower blade.
If you find you are in a tight spot or if you find that being on your knees works better for a particular job, the mini shovel is for you.
This is a miniature shovel built to handle tough gardening jobs.
I love using this shovel to plant perennials/annuals in 10-cm to one-gallon size pots. It’s the shovel you want when a trowel seems a bit too small.
MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION
Blade: The blade should to be a good quality carbon steel; 14- to 16-gauge tempered carbon steel is most popular. There are expensive stainless steel shovels, but I find these too heavy and harder to sharpen. Sharpening your blade as needed is crucial to maintain digging performance. Handles: Handles for gardening shovels are available in hardwoods or fibreglass/ poly blends. Hardwoods are strong, but you must maintain them or they will start to split. Fibreglass handles are lightweight, strong and are not damaged by being wet and dirty for any length of time. The poly blend types are similar, but some are not as strong as the fibreglass. Read the information about the handle: you want it lightweight and strong enough to handle digging in our heavy and sometimes rock-filled soil.
The blades of the abovementioned shovels are concave with a rounded tip. The top of the blade is bent at a 45-degree angle to give you a place to put your foot to apply pressure as you dig.
The popular handle designs are the long straight handle or the shorter ‘D’ handle. There are also some manufacturers making shovels with ergonomically designed handles. The best handle for you is the one that feels most comfortable in your hands. Before you buy, mimic the jobs you will be doing in the store and see which handle suits you best.