Four Tools To Rent When Installing New Garden Beds
Posted on: 12 May 2015
Putting in a new garden is made much simpler with the use of the right tools. Most of these tools are used infrequently, so their expense and storage space isn't practical for the average home gardener. Fortunately, you can rent many garden tools for just a fraction of the cost of buying. These are the top four tools to rent when installing a new garden bed.
#1: Sod Cutter
One of the most difficult parts of putting a new garden bed can be the removal of the old sod. This is where a sod cutter comes in handy. Trying to dig up the grass by hand from even a small space can be an all-day job. If you miss any of the grass roots, the grass will simply grow back and become a difficult to remove weed in the new garden bed.
Mechanical sod cutters cut through the sod and remove it in strips, with minimal effort required from you. You can then roll up the strips for disposal, or you can replant the sod in bare areas of the yard. Since the majority of the grass roots are removed, there's no worries about it invading the bed later.
#2: Tiller
The tiller is the main tool that many gardeners use on a regular basis. A mechanical tiller saves many hours when preparing a new bed. Use it to break up the soil so moisture and air can penetrate, or to work in amendments like compost and fertilizer.
Small, two-blade tillers are best used for weeding and turning between established planting rows, or for preparing a small garden bed. For larger, unplanted beds, rent a wide six-blade tiller. Simply set the tilling depth, typically between 8- and 12-inches for new beds, and push the tiller through the bed to plow up the soil.
#3: Bed Shaper
If you are creating beds with a defined edge, you have two choices. The first choice is to do it by hand with a spade. You must use the blade of the spade to carefully cut your edge, without wandering off course. This is very time consuming!
Fortunately, there is a tool to help you do this job in a fraction of the time. A motor-driven bed shaper cuts a defined edge, creating a trench around your garden bed. It can cut in straight lines or curves.
#4: Auger
Fences are commonly required around vegetable gardens, especially if you have pets or live in an area where the local wildlife can pose a garden threat. A simple fence is usually all you need. To make installation of the fence posts simpler, rent an auger to dig the post holes. This will make short work of the construction process so you can get back to planting your garden.
For more information about the tools you may need, contact a garden rental company.
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