There are so many types of shovels, and choosing one which fits right for the job makes a huge difference for long hard labor ahead in your day. Shovels are important garden tools that are designed specifically to do one job-gardening.
To understand different types of shovels and their uses, keep reading this post. You are going to learn about so many shovel varieties that you never knew existed.
Types of Shovel
Edging Shovel
An edging is a unique type of shovel designed to make neat edges around borders or lawns’ creative definitive edge. It is made of a long shaft with a straight footplate, small-sized metal in a semi-circle attached at the bottom. The blades of this shovel are flat and sharp and pressed directly into the soil or lawn.
These blades are shallow and do not require deep cuts to work effectively. These are mainly used for managing garden edging and also work in shallowing up plant roots. As these shovels have a small blade, these are perfect to be used when you do not wish to harm nearby plants.
Trench Shovel
Commonly known as a ditch shovel, the trenching shovel is mostly used for digging shallow trenches and neatening up the deep trenches that are created with powerful tools. Trench shovels have narrow and long blades with a pointy tip and are set at an angle.
Due to the narrow blade, you will have to use your arm power to dig into the ground. This means that if you wish to dig deeper into the shallow trench, it would become a tiresome task with this shovel. Trench shovels are mostly used by landscape gardeners.
Flat Shovel
Flat shovels feature a flat blade, standing true to its name. This is designed for scooping and has a slight concave blade similar to a squared-off spoon which is great for carrying off materials. The shovels are useful for moving garden materials like gravel, mulch or soil and also loading the wheelbarrows or any other garden container.
The flat blade is not helpful for digging but comes with a large footplate to help add pressure and force it into the ground. It is useful in shallow digging tasks and cleaning the trenches and works best on soft soils.
Tree-Planting Shovel
Tree planting shovels are those types of shovels designed specifically for planting trees and make it an easier job than other types. These have a narrow blade with a pointy tip. It is very helpful in digging different-sized holes and working them into the ground in a circular shape.
The shaft of a tree planting shovel comes in many different sizes, depending on your task. Longer shafts work on even and flat ground, whereas shorter shafts are great for sloppy grounds. Tree planting shovels work similar to trenching shovels and also double up to make shallow trenches. You can also use them to clean any debris or pebbles from bigger trenches.
Post Hole Shovel
This is a type of double shovel known as a post hole. It is made of two shovels that are attached with long narrow curving blades with curved tips. The shape of these blades can slice through roots or anything that comes in the way. When the blades are closed together, they form a cylindrical shape.
A post hole shovel is used mainly to dig deep holes for fencing. It does so by using pinch, dig and lift motion and removing a cylinder of soil off the ground in one simple, swift movement. If you have many different holes to dig, then a post hole is a great investment. Using this, you will be able to dig holes in a fraction with a much neater looking look.
Handheld Shovel
These types of shovels are known by many different names, including a garden shovel, hand shovel, garden trowel and garden spade. These small shovels come with short sized shafts of around 6 inches and can be used in many different gardening tasks like removing plants and digging weeds and holes for planting new trees.
These tools’ design varies and has a fairly narrow pointed, and rounded blade measuring four inches. The blade of the handheld shovel is convex in shape, which is great for scooping.
Root Shovel
Root shovels vary in design and usually have triangular blades, which sometimes come pointy and sometimes with flattened tips. The blade edges are serrated, which helps in sawing the roots of plants. The shovels
These shovels are designed specifically to help with plant or tree removal, either for transplanting or disposal. Their blades are useful for cutting through tough, established roots of old trees, which can then be removed to allow more space for new roots to generate and spread. These shovels are also useful in creating holes for new trees or plants to be settled into.
Scoop Shovel
Other common types of shovels are scoop shovels that come with larger blades and shorter shafts to make them look like average height. The blade of scop shoves usually flat-tipped. These shovels are named so because of their scooped shape and rigid edges on the sides, which helps to hold material that you have to move.
Scoop shovels can move a large amount of material like gravel, soil, debris and wood chippings. These are available in many types of material similar to aluminium scoop shovels with a short lifespan as compared to robust metal scoop shovels.
Always consider the shovel material when and how much scooping you need to do before you buy a scoop shovel. Aluminium shovels do not last long as they are lighter, which makes them less opt for strenuous work.
Snow Shovel
If you live in a place where it snows often, a snow shovel is a mandatory tool to have in your garage. These shovels come with long shafts made of plastic, metal or even wood. The blades are rectangular and large with a vertical curve which makes scooping snow super easy from your sidewalks.
If a large area requires snow shovelling up, then it is best to invest in an ergonomic snow shovel. These come with curved shafts that reduce back pain and feature an extra handle to adjust the grip and hold in a comfortable position. Ergonomic snow shovels come with an ergonomic handle which is easier on palms.
Pointed Digger Shovel
A pointed digger shovel is best for digging through touch soil or rocky soil. These types of shovels have pointed edges and tips curving upwards. These features make this shovel best for digging and holding onto material dug up. Pointed digger shovels have a long shaft made with metal or wooden and wide footplate. This wide footplate enables the use of weight to dog deep or dense soil.
Round Digger Shovel
Round digger shovel is used best for digging holes in soft soil. These shovels come with curved edges like a pointed digger shovel only with a curved shape. Round digger shovel is suitable for digging holes for planting. However, if you have touch, rocky or heavy clay soil, then around digger shovel may not be the best pick; instead, go for a pointier one.
Folding Shovel
These are small types of garden shovels to make them super portable. Folding shovels are useful for your camping trips and outdoor pursuits with limited spaces. It makes sense to keep these types of shovels in your car trunk for emergency use.
Folding shovels are inexpensive and have a short life span that breaks or snaps easily. For increasing longevity, you should instead invest in an all-steel construction for heavy-duty uses.
