Introduction to Tools and Their Jobs

Categories of Tools

The most important tools you use are the different parts of your body – your hands, your skin, your back, your knees and your legs. Chemical sunblock may be bad for your body, but it most certainly does nature no good once you've washed it off. A long-sleeved cotton shirt and cotton pants are cool and, if you can find organic cotton that costs less than the US Military budget, you are doing Gaia a good deal. Wear a hat (it's stylish anyway!) and comfortable shoes. Get gloves that will stand to the work you are doing – digging with shovels almost always means a heavy glove, gardening in containers is a piece of cake with cotton gloves or some of the new plasticized gloves. Get more than one type.

Have on hand muscle rub (I use stuff with arnica in it) and hand creams if you worry about callouses grossing you – or someone else out. Do some stretches to prevent injuries.

A. Stand up gardening/Mulch, Compost moving

1. Double digger, aka broadfork
2. Spading fork
3. Compost fork
4. Grain Shovel (aka Grain scoop)
5. Spade
6. Round point shovel
7. Poachers spade
8. Leaf rake
9. Broom for clean up if needed
10. Long handle vs. short handle
    1. Long handles – more leverage (easier to break), better for tall people
    2. Short handles – easier to fit into smaller spaces and more appropriate for short people
11. Wheel barrow/gardeners cart
12. Tarps (either the blue plastic or burlap) to make clean up easier

B. Kneeling gardening

1. Trowel
2. Hand fork
3. Weeders
4. Japanese hori hori knife can be used as a trowel and a weeder
5. The Stick tool (my 'invention')
6. Scissors
7. Kneeling pad or a small stool
8. Dibbles
9. Wire brush
10. Sharp serrated knives
11. Watering can or hose
12. Tape measure
13. I include a radio with my kit

C. Container gardening

1. Trowel
2. Hand fork
3. Weeders
4. Kneeling pad (?)
5. Tarp
6. Watering can or hose
7. Machete
8. Pot brush
9. Container knife

500. Seeding
     1. Widget
     2. Seeding tool
     3. Small Swiss Army Knife
     4. Pencil
     5. Marker
     6. Plastic tags
     7. Flats
     8. Newspapers
     9. Containers
     10. Journal or notebook!
     11. Chopsticks
     12. Soft nozzle for the hose or a Haws watering can

E. Harvesting

1. Knives
2. Scissors
3. Pruners
4. Containers – baskets, bags, dishpan – to wash and clean produce (as needed)

F. Pruning

1. Pruners that fit your hand
2. Folding saw
3. Loppers
4. Pole Pruner
5. Large saw
6. Sharp knife
7. Specialty gloves if needed

G. Tool care

1. Linseed oil for wood
2. Any oil for metal
3. Rags
4. Sharpening devices
5. Sandpaper in different grades
6. Listerine to sterilize your tools

H. Almost all kits have

1. Knife or knives
2. Screwdrivers
3. Pliers
4. Measuring tape of some kind
5. And a radio to listen to the baseball game....