By John Hogan
The Grand Rapids Press

Spring’s arrival brings with it a frantic search for garden tools not seen since the Detroit Tigers were slugging it out with the St. Louis Cardinals last fall; and for some people, way back in 1968.

Hand trowels, long-handled rakes, shovels and assorted cordless tools regain popularity when neglected fall chores return as spring cleaning projects.

If you can’t find something, don’t sweat it. Chances are a better version of what you’ve misplaced is waiting in local hardware and nursery stores.

For convenience, nothing beats going cordless. Black & Decker is introducing a cordless 18-volt cultivator, which makes turning over garden soil a breeze. Its hardened steel tines reach 4 inches into the soil, loosening dirt for planting and better aeration (blackanddecker.com).

If you prefer the Spartan approach, Minnesota-based Hound Dog Products offers a garden cultivator with an extension handle that lets you weed, aerate and loosen planting beds under your own power.

It has three removable wheels made of durable steel and a contoured grip that detaches from the shaft in case you want to do close-up work (hound-dog.com).

Ryobi has an extensive collection of cordless tools, including four making their debut this spring. The home and garden sprayer is good for applying insecticides or liquid fertilizer. It makes the pump tank sprayers obsolete.

The ever-popular leaf blower isn’t just for fall clean-up. Ryobi’s 18-volt blower disperses grass clippings from sidewalks and seed pods from decks.

If you want to get rid of seed pods altogether, tackle the offending tree with Ryobi’s cordless pole pruner. The 4- to 5-foot telescoping pole lets you reach higher limbs.

For less drastic cutting, the cordless hedge trimmer’s dual-action blades reduce vibration and provide a cleaner cut. The Ryobi hedge trimmer features an 18-inch blade with 3/8-inch cutting capacity.

An environmentally safe way to control bugs — and maybe clean the grill — comes from a California company. The Bug Blaster annihilates aphids and wipes out whiteflies without using pesticides. It is a watering wand with a patent-pending nozzle you attach to the garden hose to create a 360-degree full-pressure wall of water that blasts pests and eggs from the undersides and tops of leaves (mybugblaster.com).

For traditionalists, how about an old-fashioned digging trowel that can handle tough jobs without bending like Gumby? Vigoro (vigoro.com) this spring is introducing a new line of hand tools that are durable and useful, so long as they aren’t misplaced. Its collection includes a hand trowel, cultivator, weeder, transplanter and soil scoop, all priced under $10.

Ergonomic handles provide maximum support. A nice feature is durability: heavy-duty stainless steel and one-piece cast aluminum.

What they all lack, however, is a GPS chip to help you find them next spring. Better buy two of each.

Send e-mail to the author: jhogan@grpress.com

source :www.mlive.com