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Rotary Gardens dishes the dirt on gardening tips

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Photo by Bill Olmsted

The Cobra Head has a sharpened point and a curved arm which helps to get the tool deep into the ground and adds strength for drawing it through the soil.

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Photo by Bill Olmsted

The Circlehoe is a great garden tool for getting close to established and desirable plants. When a pulling motion is used, a sharpened front edge easily slices through soil and roots.

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Photo by Bill Olmsted

The offset blade of the Nijiri Gama Hoe does it's best work slicing through the very top of the soil.

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Photo by Bill Olmsted

A fabric tool holder attached to a 5-gallon bucket keeps gardening tools handy and provides space for larger tools or debris. Having the proper tools and keeping them clean, sharp and organized will make gardening easier and more enjoyable.

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Photo by Bill Olmsted

Anyone that does regular gardening can tell you that a good kneepad is a good thing to have.

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Photo by Bill Olmsted

This selection of garden tools is indispensable to a volunteer at Rotary Gardens. In addition to the more recognizable trowel, knife, scissors, small rake, pruners, and dandelion weeder, are the more exotic Cobrahead (top center), Nijiri Gama Hoe (top right) and Circle Hoe (center).

JANESVILLE — Now that spring has sprung, gardens are blooming everywhere.

Although most gardeners find digging in the dirt therapeutic, they also know this favorite pastime can take a toll on backs, knees, wrists and hands.

A recent trip to Rotary Gardens was fertile ground for cultivating ideas from staff and 150 volunteers who, on average, each year plant 100,000 annuals, 2,000 perennials and around 50 trees and shrubs at the botanical-themed garden, said Mark Dwyer, horticulture director.

These are some of their tips:

-- Pick the best tool for the job—The Japanese hand hoe is lightweight and provides directional control when weeding, so it's great for those gardening on their knees, Dwyer said.

Volunteer Shirley Hoague and botanical gardens' grounds crew staff member Janice Peterson agreed.

"I get down on my knees when I work, so it's handy and even works well for left-handers," Hoague said.

"You can do almost anything with it," Peterson said of her favorite gardening tool as she whacked it into the dirt.

She recommended a dandelion digger, however, for getting rid of dandelions and the Cobra Head for weeding ornamental onions.

"It can get as deep as the (tiny) bulbs are," she said, while working on the pesky alliums in the English Cottage Garden behind the Rath Environmental Center.

The Cobra Head, Peterson said, also is good for pulling clumps of grass and weeding in the half- to 1-inch cracks between pavers, she said.

The benefit of using a circle hoe for weeding is it won't cut neighboring plants even if you bump them, Dwyer said as he demonstrated the tool in a flowerbed.

-- Sharpen gardening tools—Do the task at least annually, if not two to three times a year, Dwyer said.

Sharpening should be done on shovels, hoes, pruners and anything that has a sharp edge or blade, he said.

There are many ways to sharpen tools, but Rotary Gardens uses a machine grinder, said Dwyer, who added that files also work well.

"With a sharp shovel, you get a better dig, and a hoe will chop and cut better if it's sharp," Peterson said.

-- Clean tools—Rinse off with water and remove debris with a scrubbing device after every use.

"This helps with the longevity of the tool," Dwyer said.

Also make sure gardening tools are dry to avoid rust, Peterson said.

-- Sterilize—The task can be done a couple times a year by using a bleach dip of one part bleach to 10 parts water, a disinfectant spray or disinfectant wipes, he said.

Sterilizing is particularly important with hand pruners to avoid spreading disease from one plant to another, Dwyer said.

Repeated sterilization even might be necessary between cuts, he said.

-- Trowels—Use them to break up the earth, dig small holes and mix soil with fertilizer, Peterson said.

The pointed, scooped-shape blades come in a variety of lengths and widths with handles of different materials from wood to padded. So pick what works best for you, Dwyer said.

-- Spring weeding—The task needs to be addressed in early April and May, otherwise the weeds will reseed and spread, Dwyer said.

-- Organize tools and accessories—The task can be done in a 5-gallon handled, plastic bucket, labeled with your name and an apron with pockets wrapped around it for holding gloves, tools and a notebook with a writing instrument for easy access, Peterson said.

-- Have several types of gloves—Waterproof to keep hands dry and leather to wear if you're digging, shoveling or doing other hard work to protect your hands from getting calluses, Peterson said.

-- Buy good quality tools—So their handles won't bend and they'll last longer, Hoague said.

-- Use a rubber kneeling pad—It provides a cushion for knees, she said.

-- Lubricate gardening tools—It's especially important for those with moving parts that have any metal-to-metal contact. Apply lightly on blades that cross on hand pruners, loppers, etc., said Dwyer, who added that WD-40 works fine.