Perhaps, you may have had it happen, halfway through a pruning job your hand gets an awful cramp that causes you to put off all other garden tasks until your hand recovers. Using heavy, bulky, hard garden tools can cause hand and wrist pain for days, which can affect your life outside of the garden as well.
As a garden center worker, landscape designer and writer, there have been plenty of times when I’ve hurt my hand from pruning with a bad pair of pruners and my other work has been delayed until I heal. Because of this, I now spend more time each spring carefully selecting new tools for the landscape season, and I do not hesitate to spend extra money on something that feels right in my hand. In my job, I may spend up to eight hours with pruners or a trowel in my hand. Having not only the right tool for the job, but also one that fits comfortably in my hand, is important.
Gardening tasks can especially seem daunting to people afflicted by arthritis, carpel tunnel syndrome or other joint and tendon problems. Innovative garden tool companies, like Herbavore Tools, specialize in custom made, ergonomic gardening tools. In fact, you can simply visit their website and order gardening hand tools that are made to fit your palm measurements. Since these properly sized, cushion-gripped handles conform specifically to your hands, the hunt for left-handed pruners is over. Ergonomic, custom made tools also increase leverage, thereby, decreasing the amount of force you need to use them, which decreases stress on muscles and joints.
In the summer, I’ll sometimes look at my hands and be reminded of Gone with the Wind. Beautiful Scarlett O’Hara dolls herself up to visit Rhett Butler and tries to pretend life is still just a glamorous ball. Rhett takes her hand, feels its rough condition and sees right through her charade. As a woman, I’d much rather have soft, feminine hands than the blistered and calloused working hands that I frequently have. I’ve wasted too much money on over-priced, disappointing hand creams. Ergonomic, custom fit gardening tools can eliminate the pressure and rubbing that leads to these blisters and calluses. A properly conformed grip can also eliminate slip ups that result in cuts and wounds.
Proper garden tools are not just important for yourself, they are also important to the plants you work with. When pruning anything, you should always use strong, sharp tools that make clean cuts. These will heal over quicker, leaving the plants less vulnerable to pests and disease.
