What does this tool do?
Lawn & garden tools, explained
Pruners, loppers, pole saws, spreaders, sprayers and blowers — what each one is for.
What does this tool do?
The garden aisle is full of tools that look similar and do very different things. Here's what each one is actually for, when a South Florida yard needs it, and where to check our Delray Beach shelf.
Bypass pruners
Two curved blades that slice past each other like scissors for a clean cut on living stems up to about 3/4".
Down here: The tool you'll reach for most here — hibiscus, ixora, croton and bougainvillea all keep growing year round.
Loppers
Long-handled pruners with the leverage to take branches from about 3/4" to 2".
Down here: Perfect for thinning ficus and sea grape before hurricane season so wind passes through instead of pushing.
Hedge shears & trimmers
Straight double blades — manual or powered — that shape a hedge face rather than cut individual branches.
Down here: Clusia, podocarpus and areca hedges grow fast in the wet season and want a light trim every few weeks.
Pole saw / pole pruner
A saw or pruner head on an extension pole so you can cut overhead without a ladder.
Down here: Palm fronds, mango and oak limbs over the roof line — the single best pre-storm tool for a homeowner.
String trimmer (weed eater)
Spinning nylon line that cuts grass and weeds where a mower can't reach.
Down here: Edges along driveways, seawalls and A/C pads. Keep the line off tree trunks — a girdled trunk never recovers.
Edger
A vertical blade that cuts a crisp line between turf and hard surfaces.
Down here: St. Augustine spreads by runners and creeps over sidewalks fast here — edging is monthly work, not yearly.
Leaf blower
Moves clippings, leaves and sand off hard surfaces with air instead of a broom.
Down here: Also the fastest way to clear a screened pool deck and to dry a driveway before you seal or paint it.
Broadcast spreader
A hopper on wheels that flings granular fertilizer or lawn product in an even fan as you walk.
Down here: The only sane way to apply fertilizer to St. Augustine — hand-scattering burns stripes into the lawn.
Pump sprayer
A tank you pressurize by hand to apply liquid herbicide, insecticide, fungicide or foliar feed.
Down here: Keep two, labeled: one for weed killer only, one for everything else. Herbicide residue will kill your plants.
Hose-end sprayer
Screws onto a hose and mixes concentrate into the water stream automatically as you spray.
Down here: Fast coverage for liquid iron, palm feeds and insecticidal soap over a whole yard.
Garden fork & hand cultivator
Tines that break up and aerate soil without turning it into dust the way a shovel can.
Down here: Works compost and peat into our sand so water and nutrients hold long enough for roots to use them.
Round-point shovel & trowel
Digging tools — the shovel for planting holes and trenching, the trowel for annuals, herbs and containers.
Down here: Our sand digs easy; the trick is a hole two to three times wider than the root ball, never deeper.
Rake & leaf rake
A stiff bow rake grades soil and rock; a flexible leaf rake gathers clippings and debris.
Down here: A bow rake is what levels sand and rock beds; a leaf rake pulls thatch out of a tired St. Augustine lawn.
Wheelbarrow & yard cart
Moves soil, mulch, rock and bags without wrecking your back.
Down here: One 2 cu. ft. bag of mulch covers about 8 sq. ft. at 3" — plan on a lot of trips or a cart.
Pressure washer
High-pressure water for cleaning hard surfaces — not a garden tool, but a Florida necessity.
Down here: Mildew and algae on pavers, screen cages and stucco. Prep step before any exterior paint job.
Chainsaw
Powered cutting for limbs and trunks past what a pole saw or loppers can handle.
Down here: Storm-season insurance. Keep chain oil and a sharp spare chain on the shelf before the warning goes up.