IDENTIFICATION OF GARDEN TOOLS

Aim of the experiment: To study different garden tools and their utilization in nurseries and gardens.

Objectives:

1.     To study and get acquainted with various garden tools.

2.     To understand the importance and use of the tools

Materials required:      

          Spade, khurpi, budding and grafting knives, pruning knives, secateurs, pole pruner, rake, lopper or pruning shear, hedge shear, shovel, watering can, rose can, axe, pruning saw, hand fork, patch budder, hand cultivar, transplanting trowel, plant protector, root irrigator, dibbler, scale, vernier calipers, hand lens, tape, knife, etc.

Relevant information:

Sl. No.	Garden tools	Characters/ remarks
1	Axe	The axe is a simple hand tool, which consists of a cutting edge and an eye for fixing of a handle. It is forged to shape as a single piece. These are available in various sizes and shapes. An axe is a multipurpose cutting tool used for felling and delimbing trees, splitting logs for firewood and dressing logs for timber conversion. Small axes are also used for clearing bushes.
2	Bill hook	This is a traditional cutting tool used widely in agriculture and forestry for cutting smaller woody materials such as shrubs and branches and is distinct from the sickle. It is made up of heavy gauge high tensile manganese carbon steel. Being heat treated it has maximum strength. The cutting edge is well sharpened.
3	Budding knife	Used for budding operation. The curved point helps in making vertical cuts on the stock portion. The other end helps in opening the bark flaps. It can be used for cutting, and pruning young shoots and tender branches.
4	Clipper	Used for clipping soft grasses in lawns and edges where lawn mower can’t cover.
5	Crowbar	It is a tool consisting of a metal bar with a single curved end and flattened points, often with a small fissure on one or both ends for removing nails and sometimes used as a weapon. A digging bar, incorrectly associated with a crowbar, is a long straight metal bar used for post hole digging, for leverage, carrying out staking operations, and fixing poles during fencing.
6	Dibblers	It is to make small holes on the seed beds to place the seeds or for making holes at the time of transplanting of seedlings.
7	Duster	It is used to dust the powdery chemicals on the seedlings.
8	Fork (Hand fork)	It is a useful garden tool for nursery operations. Used for lifting manure and plants. It is also used for shifting garden soil and compost.
9	Grafting knife	Used for grafting operations. High carbon steel grafting knives are better.
10	Hand cultivator	Used to loosen the soil and to remove the pebbles and clods from the field.
11	Hand hoe	An effective and efficient tool for weeding of the beds. It can be used for preparing basins and seed beds. A long wooden handle enables it to work without bending. Ideal steel for hoe is made from high carbon steel.
12	Hedge shear	It is useful for trimming hedges and edges. It is also used in making topiary.
13	Hose pipe	Used for watering the field.
14	Khurpi	It is a useful garden tool for weeding in the kitchen garden and flower beds, lifting seedlings or plants from the nursery, transplanting and planting. The shape and size determine the nature of work that can be done with it.
15	Lopper	Excellent tool for pruning branches thicker than a lead pencil. It is a useful tool for making hardwood cutting.
16	Pole shear	Useful for pruning branches of the outer periphery of the tree and branches of 3 m to 4 m in height. The branch is fastened by opening the blade and cutting the branch when the rope or chain is pulled.
17	Pruning knife	Used for pruning branches and suckers. It can also be used for grafting purposes. The edges of the knife remain sharp for a longer period if made from high carbon steel.
18	Pruning saw	Useful for cutting thick branches. It is more effective for removing dead and thick branches that are over 6 cm in diameter.
19	Rake	Ideal tool for levelling land and collecting weeds. It can also be used for breaking clods. Rake made up of high carbon steel lasts long. A good rake should have 8-12 teeth.
20	Secature	Useful for pruning branches of lead pencil thickness. It is good for making cutting and removing dry flowers and branches.
21	Shovel	Useful handy tool for lifting young seedlings from the nursery bed without much injury to the root system. It is available in different shapes and sizes.
22	Sickle	Used for cutting grass, fodder and harvesting crops. A sickle made up of high carbon steel is better and lasts longer.
23	Sprayer	Sprayers are useful for spraying insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and foliar application of fertilizers. It should have a fine nozzle for uniform spray. Sprayers are available in different capacities in the market. They may be foot operated or hand compressed. The type of nozzle used in it determines the spray pattern and volume of spray material required for a unit area of land.
24	Sprinkler	Useful for irrigating lawns and kitchen gardens. Water comes out as a spray. There is an economy of water as well as it covers large areas in a shorter duration.
25	Sword	Used for cutting tall grasses or weeds from the garden and lawn. It covers a large area in a short time.
26	Transplanting trowel	Used to lift the seedling along with a ball of earth to the main field for transplanting.
27	Watering can/ Rose can	Used for irrigating potted plants when fitted with a rose (rose can) can be used to irrigate the seed bed. They are available in various capacities. The plastic cans are lighter than the metallic ones and last longer.
28	Wheelbarrow	Used to transport manure, seedlings, fertilizers, compost, garden waste, etc.