When autumn rolls around there always seems to be so much to do in the garden but you can make this whole process easier with the right tools. As long as you have these, you’re good.
So, what tools should you be buying for the garden for autumn? What’s really going to reduce the amount of time you have to spend outside?
This is a contributed post
Let’s take a look at the equipment you might want to look at buying and how it can help you feel less fatigued after each gardening session.
Leaf Blower
First, you’ll want to invest in an electric blower of some description. These massively reduce the time it takes to rake and manage all the leaves on your property. You can literally blow them into a corner and then bag them or allow them to rot naturally.
Compare this to what you’d usually have to do. Most property owners wind up spending days just raking and sorting their leaves, never leaving any time to do anything else, like preparing for winter.
Use leaf blowers to remove leaves from deck and patio, and to act as mulch for growing flower beds.
Garden Kneeler
For autumn, it’s also a good idea to purchase a garden kneeler. These are handy when you want to bend down and prune, but don’t want to get your knees or pants soaked or muddy.
Various types of kneelers are available. The cheapest are made of foam but you can also get higher-quality options, and some made of silicone.
Once you start using these, you should notice your joints begin to ache much less. You can also flip them over and use them as portable seats if you want to rest your back. The more you can rely on them, the better.
Leaf Scoops
Once you’ve blown the leaves to where you want them to be, the next step is to figure out what to do with them. Leaving them alone is one option, but if you want to move them at all, you’ll need a leaf scoop.
Leaf scoops are like big claws that fit over your hands like gloves. Using these is much more efficient and pleasant than just using your bare hands or even gloves. You feel a bit like a giant sloth, but it’s still a fun experience. And because the scoops are long, you don’t have to bend down as much.
Pruning Shears
Pruning shears are another helpful tool you want around for the autumn months. This time of work, you need to deadhead bushes and shape shrubs so that they’re ready to come roaring back when the spring comes around.
Pay special attention to any part of the shrub that looks diseased and needs removing. See if you can cut it back so that the rot doesn’t go any deeper.
If you struggle with manual pruning shears, look for electric versions. These do some of the hard work for you so there’s less effort involved and you can cut through thicker stems and twigs.
Pressure Washer
During the autumn months, you’ll also notice that mildew starts to build up on your patio and pave with a vengeance. It just doesn’t look right.
That’s where a pressure washer can really come in handy. These blast away dirt and grime very quickly, allowing you to better enjoy your space and make it look like new.
Pressure washers are best for strong materials that can withstand the pressure. These include things like regular stone, concrete, composite decking, and so on. You may need to adjust the pressure downward for things like tiles or softer materials as you can sometimes damage them.
Soil Knife
You’ll also want to look at the option of getting a proper soil knife. These are important when you want to do things like measure planting depth and so on.
A lot of experienced gardeners adopt this technique for things like dividing perennial depths and inserting new fall bulbs into the ground without a shovel.
How you use it is really down to your imagination. If you can get it right, you’ll notice that the soil heals faster and you can do more with it.
Rake
Of course, even if you have a leaf blower, it’s still a good idea to have a rake as well. Just make sure you get one that protects your turf at the same time. A lot of rakes have sharp ends which make them less practical that many people would like. You’re raking your lawn and causing a lot of damage at the same time.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money on rakes, but it helps to buy something that’s sturdy and high quality. If you do, it means it’ll last longer than a single season, which is what you want.
Tooled Wheelbarrow
It’s annoying having to wheel your wheelbarrow around and then go and collect your tools to move from one side of the garden to another. But these days, you can get wheelbarrows with tool holders so you can take everything with you in a single trip.
These pieces of equipment save you so much time and effort, and you don’t have to walk as far to get stuff done. If you haven’t used one of these before, it’s a real game-changer and something you should try.
Hedge Trimmer
Finally, at the end of summer, you may have a few hedges that need trimming. You can do this by hand, but it is much easier with a trimmer, and you can be more accurate.
Hedge trimmers aren’t as expensive as you might think and there are now so many brands building high quality products. Once you have one, you know you can always rely on it at the end of summer and beginning of winter to bring hedges under control for the rest of the year.
So, there you have it: some helpful tools you’ll want to get for the autumn months. Which will you be buying?
You can read my product reviews here.
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