Choosing the Right Garden Shovel for the Job

One of the most widely used tools for gardening is the shovel, but many gardeners have little knowledge about what type of shovel to use for various projects they are working on. Using the right shovel can help you complete the job quicker, easier and also help minimize body stress–like an aching back.

Below are several of the more common garden shovels with an explanation of what each garden tool was designed for. While you may find other uses for certain shovels, the main intent is to help gardeners find garden shovels designed for specific jobs and make gardening and other farm or household chores more enjoyable.

Round Point Shovel:  The round point shovel is probably the most widely known and used shovel in any homeowners tool shed. It has a long, straight handle with a very pointed tip. The flat area on either side of bottom of the handle is great for placing one or both feet to dig deeper into the soil.  It is mainly used to move dirt from one location to another by digging, shoveling or scooping up the soil or debris.

 Garden Shovel:  The garden shovel is very similar to the round point shovel in appearance, but often has a shorter handle with a D-style grip at the end. It is slightly smaller and lighter so it is easier to handle. By using a short-handled garden shovel you are better able to get into tight, cramped areas where a long handle would be forever bumping something behind you. The general purpose of the garden shovel is to move dirt or debris from one location to another by digging, shoveling or scooping.
Irrigation Shovel:  This shovel design is also similar to your standard round point and garden shovels. The shank design is straighter so it enables the user to dig ditches or holes for planting trees, shrubs and flowers. It is easier to get a real vertical edge on the hole or ditch you are digging by using this type of shovel.
Transplanting Spade:  The name pretty much gives this shovel’s purpose away–it’s used for transplanting. When you are transplanting trees, shrubs and other bushes you can use a transplanting spade so you don’t disturb the roots as much as you would with a garden shovel. The width of the head is very narrow and slim in appearance and it has a rounded tip. You can get transplanting spades in either a long handle or the shorter, D-handle style. If you are working in a tight area or prefer a light weight type of spade then choose the shorter, D-handled transplanting spade.
Square Point Shovel:  The tip of the shovel head is flat and the overall shape is square, thus the name square point shovel. This shovel design is often used for leveling or putting a very straight edge on ditches, pathways and other projects where you want a nice straight line. You can also use it for shoveling snow, gravel or dirt. For cleaning out a garden shed, greenhouse or even mucking out livestock pens/stalls that have corners you can’t beat the square point shovel. It makes getting every bit of dirt out of the corners a breeze.
Scoop Shovel: The scoop shovel is one of my favorites. It has a huge head that can hold a lot of material. Often it is found with a shorter, D-style handle.  This shovel works best for lightweight materials such as leaves, bark, or other dried materials. Because of the load it can hold you don’t want to use it for heavy or wet materials unless you have a great deal of upper body strength to lift it without straining your back. The scoop shovel is a favorite among farmers for cleaning stalls and scooping up the barn/shop floor sweepings. It is easy to get it all in one swift scoop, leaving very little debris behind.

While there are still many different types of shovels on the market, each designed for different jobs, these are the most common ones used in gardens, farms and around the house. The next time you go to the hardware store in search of a few new tools be sure to look at all the shovel designs available. Add a few new ones to your collection and you can save yourself time and body ache.