Gardening : Hand Tools : A Wealth of Rakes : Home & Garden Television

Tired of depending on machines? Get back to the basics and use a rake, says Gardening by the Yard host Paul James. Many gas-powered machines--from blowers that convert to leaf vacuums to walk-behind models that are great for large properties--do a great job of picking up leaves, but they also make a lot of noise, burn gas and oil and cost a lot of money.

"Although fallen leaves can be unsightly at times, every leaf is valuable, one of the best sources of organic matter for the compost pile," he says. "Rakes are trusted tools that do a great job of picking up leaves. They are clean, quiet, low-tech, don't require fuel and maintenance, rarely break down and give the person raking a good workout. Also, they cost very little."

Bamboo rakes have been around for a long time, but master gardener Paul James says they remain a good choice for today's gardener.

Spring rakes earned the name because they bounce when they hit the ground.

The first rakes were probably made from bamboo; you can still buy them today in several widths. The spring rake is another old-time favorite, and the way it bounces along the ground makes it fun to use.

Figure A

Figure B

Plastic rakes are more modern and last nearly forever. These are available with conventional straight handles as well as ergonomic bent handles (figure A) that allow you to stand more upright while raking, which reduces strain on the back. You can also mount these back-saving devices (figure B) to straight-handled rakes as well as other garden tools to accomplish the same thing and make raking a little easier. Regardless of which rake you use, stand upright while raking to take the strain off your back.

Figure C

Any one of these rakes will do a fine job of raking leaves; however, the wider the head of the rake, the more leaves you can pick up with each motion. Wide rakes (figure C) do have some disadvantages, especially when you're working in tight spots, which is why several manufacturers offer adjustable rakes.

You can adjust some wide rakes from a mere seven inches wide to approximately 21 inches wide. They work well getting leaves out of narrow gaps between shrubs and in the lawn.

Figure D

A telescopic rake (figure D) allows you to extend the handle to reach way back into beds or shorten the handle to work in front of the bed.

Figure E

A short-handled spring rake (figure E) does a great job of getting leaves out of your flower beds. They are colorful, which means you are less likely to lose them.

Figure F

Although we commonly associate rakes with raking leaves, they have been designed to perform many other tasks. Here are few other rakes that you might want to add to your garden tool inventory:

The steel-bow rake is hard to beat for doing all kinds of things in the garden--from light grading to spreading and fluffing mulch to removing small stones. It comes in handy when you want tamp the soil down (figure F). All you have to do is flip the head.

Figure G

Figure H

A road or rock rake (figure G) is an upgraded version of the same thing. It makes a great grading tool, especially if the area you're grading is full of rocks.

A grading rake is a must for grading large areas--either an old-fashion wooden model (figure H) or the more modern nylon version. Its wide head covers a lot of ground, and it's easy to use with both the push and pull motion.

Figure I

The thatch rake (figure I) is good for removing thatch. While your lawn may not look like much after you've used one of these, it will recover in no time and be healthier than ever.

Depending on the size of your landscape, a traditional rake may not be the ideal substitute for a gas-powered leaf blower or leaf vacuum but, says James, "I like the rhythmic motion and soothing sounds you get from using an old-fashion rake."

Also in this Episode

Gardening by the Yard : Episode GBY-618
•	A Wealth of Rakes
•	Lights, Plants and Trees
•	Houseplants in Winter

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A Wealth of Rakes

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