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For Fork's Sake!

For Fork's Sake!
Posted on 30/04/10 | Posted by The Fat Gardener

Please excuse the 'risqué' title - it must be the joys of Spring coursing through my tired, snow shrunk veins!

The humble fork is one of the 'essential' tools for the garden, they can be used to dig, weed, aerate, backfill, split, rake and lift. I use my old fork almost every day I am in the garden and it works just as well as ever.

Of all garden tools, forks are very much the unsung heroes of every garden shed, but what should you look for when choosing your own fork?

  1. Make sure the fork is the right height and weight for your comfort. This may seem very obvious, but I often see gardeners (even the old 'pros' on TV) using tools that are completely the wrong size for them. Remember you will be using your fork a lot so make sure it's comfortable.
  2. Buy a fork with a quality ash handle. Ash is a very strong timber, but with just a small amount of flexibility which is perfect for digging tools. Make sure the grain on the front of the fork handle is straight, running north to south and not an open grain which will reduce the handle strength.
  3. Try and find a solid forged tool. Solid forged forks have much stronger tines and sockets than conventional forks. All four tines should be drawn from one piece of metal as welded prongs will twist and bend much more quickly than those that are solid forged.
  4. Tines should be strong with a very slight flex. Most fork tines should be square for strength (this does not apply to potato forks which have flat tines) with sharp prongs that break the ground easily. If the tines are too flexible they will bend and if they are totally rigid they will snap.

Choosing the right fork will of course not be quite so easy if you are looking for a specialised fork. A rose fork, potato fork, manure fork, compost fork or lawn spiking fork should be selected on a combination of brand and quality. Look for British made products like Bulldog Tools, which have a great reputation for build quality and should with normal use last for many years.

One of my favourite forks is a very small fork which is only about 5" wide and is perfect for forking over small beds, splitting overgrown perennials and aerating small areas of lawn. It is a Bulldog shrubbery fork which sells for £35.34 on the Quality Garden Tools website, but is worth its weight in gold and I would defy any serious gardener not to love it!

As with all garden tools I have to offer a health warning - fork prongs are very sharp and really hurt when you stick them into your foot (I know!). So be careful and for fork's sake choose the right fork for you!

Our range of forks can be found here: www.qualitygardentools.com/hand-tools/forks/viewcategory

Any comments? Please email us at info@qualitygardentools.com

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