Get your shovels straight

FRESNO, Calif. — Whether you’re planning to plant a new tree or work on your backyard irrigation this spring, a useful tool to have is a shovel. But certain shovels are better for some projects than others. Picking the right one to use for your particular job can make the project go more smoothly.

Shovels typically have handles made of wood or fiberglass. “Fiberglass (handles) generally are 45 percent stronger, and we see some weight savings,” says Tim Wilson, manager of Orchard Supply Hardware in Fresno.

Handles also can be long or short, straight or D-shaped at the end, and have cushion grips. But when you’re deciding which shovel to buy or use, you’ll want to consider the heads of the shovels.

If you’re digging a hole for a Japanese maple, you’ll want to use a shovel with a round-tip head. They’re usually 11 inches long and 9 inches wide at the bottom. To make small holes for such things as transplants, try smaller – 6-inch-by-6-inch – round-tip gardening shovels. However, use the straight-edged garden spade if you want to dig and have a straight outline.

For heavy-duty digging such as irrigation work, Fresno Ag Hardware has shovels with round-tip forged heads made in Ireland and England. “These are really unique shovels,” says assistant manager John Letlow. “They never break. The handle might break, but not the head.”

A round-tip shovel isn’t recommended if you’re trying to transfer material from one spot to another.

Instead, use a shovel that has a square-shaped head with a flat-top edge and side edges that slightly fold inward.

“They’re not designed for digging dirt,” Letlow says. “They’re for picking up debris or sweeping debris. It’ll scoop sand. People use it for cleaning.”

There also are trenching shovels, which have rectangular heads that can be 4 to 6 inches wide and 14 to 16 inches long.

“(For a) lot of people who are putting in sprinkler systems, these are must-haves,” Letlow says.