These
garden diggers are a little bit different than pitchforks which are used for moving compost, manure, or piled up hay. They have comparatively short wooden handles with a "T" or "D" end and their tines are generally flatter, shorter, thicker, and spaced closer together. These forks usually have a handle that is made of wood and their digging end can be made of stainless steel or carbon steel. There is also a smaller version of the digging fork equipped with shorter, closely spaced and thinner tines but still has a full sized handle and they are known as border forks.
The garden fork is the most common and is used for digging clay soils, ground that has never be cultivated, digging out plants, turning and aerating the soil, and breaking down clumps of soil. They are also very good for digging and turning in a compost pile. The next most common digging fork is the border fork which is sometimes referred to as a ladies' fork. This tool does the same job as the garden digging fork but the head is narrower making it easier to dig in confined areas and between the rows of flowers or vegetables. It is the perfect tool for female gardeners and the smaller person.
There are several other types of fork
garden tools that have a specific use for your gardening needs. The potato fork which has flat tines is perfect for lifting vegetables such as potatoes or beets. The spiking fork is particularly designed for aerating lawns. The cultivator fork has prongs that are curved and is good for digging close to trees, shrubs and plants; it is also very handy for digging in the back end of beds without you standing on the soil.
Canterbury fork hoe is sometimes referred to as the best raised bed garden tool. This tool is a hoe that falls in the category between the traditional garden fork and a rake. It is designed perfectly for interrupting weed growth by loosening up the soil. This fork hoe has the right width that will allow breakage and disruption of weed growth that is in between your plants. It is strong enough for breaking up large clumps of soil. This tool is classified as a fork hoe because it has 3 prongs that are constructed from forged steel and the handle is attached horizontally so it can be used as a hoe. It has become a favorite tool for the gardeners raising vegetables in raised beds because the seven inch prongs are the right depth to till the soil for planting and root growth. Its four foot long handle allows the gardener to work the entire area without standing in or on their raised beds.
Once you have chosen the proper
garden forks for all your requirements the next best thing to do is to maintain them so they will last a long time. You need to keep the
garden forks out of the elements, they need to be cleaned after each use, and they should be hung on a wall so that they are off the floor during the off season. All of your garden tools should be properly cleaned after using and stored when not in used to extend their lives.
