Essential Farming Hand Tools You Cannot Do Without
While good methods in farming reward with healthy crops, not all farmers get the best yields. There are several factors that lead to this inadequacy, but one strong reason is looking after your crop with the right tools. Tools that work well with the minimum effort and maximize the growth of the plant and contribute to the safe health of your crop. Therefore, the need for farming hand tools is essential.
Agri Hoe
Weed elimination is an integral part of farming. We know that the presence of weeds in plants deprives the crop of its nutrition. Therefore, they must be removed. Weeds have robust growth and can overwhelm the crop considerably. The Agri Hoe Tools that come in a series of different weeding apparatus are ideal for use in low lying crops like spinach, cabbage etc. where the blades carefully push through the soil and displace large chunks to uproot the weeds. Some farmers also use the sickle to remove overgrown grass in the neglected parts of the farm.
Stirrup Hoe
Stirrup hoe works on expansive area. It slides beneath the soil and cuts and weeds from the base. This has more precision than the traditional hoe. You do not need to bend when using the hoe and can stand in an upright position. This prevents you from injuring your back. The hoe slices through the topsoil and digs to a depth of half an inch and therefore does not cause any permanent deep delved damage to the underground crops like potatoes, turnip etc.
Broadfork
Before preparing the bed for new plants and seedlings you can loosen the soil with a broad fork. This helps you to form compact beds. The soil is easily lifted and fluffed up to allow maximum air to settle in. The tool allows maximum tilling and does not spoil the soil structure.
Tilther
If you are too lazy to till the soil a tilther is an easy way. It not just tills the soil but also plants seed in a large area. It is a lightweight battery-powered tiller. You can mix in compost and refine the soil as well as create a perfect tilth for direct seeding or transplanting. It loosens the soil and aerates it while allowing the seeds to settle down.
Shovel
The use of a shovel is often forgotten when speaking of gardening tools, though its function is most crucial when you discuss anything to do with farming. A shovel is a clean-up tool that digs deeply and well into the soil loosening the soil along with pieces of stones and rocks that can hinder the growth of the plants. Nearby tall trees spread their network of roots in different directions. If the roots interfere with the farming area, they need to be cut short. The shovel is the best instrument that cuts into difficult roots and breaks them away from the mother plant. A shovel is quite indispensable for a farmer. A shovel can be round, flat, pointed or serrated. A spade on the other hand is close in looks to a shovel but this again gently tills the soil with its narrow flat blade. The handles for both are crucial. While you can opt for the traditional wooden handles, the plastic and synthetic handle available these days also balance the weight.
Purchase your farming hand tools from a trusted brand that supplies the best quality steel and iron made tools with years of durability. The tools can become heirlooms to be passed on through generations if you make the right purchase.