Celebrity gardener reveals his top tools

Green-fingered homeowners who enjoy getting outdoors and working with plants and soil may be thinking about investing in new garden tools.

If this is the case they may be wondering where to begin and could be interested in some suggestions from Joe Lamp’l, who is a master gardener and hosts a US television show on the PBS network entitled Growing a Greener World.

Bypass pruners were one tool the expert recommended, which are said to be useful for cutting live-plant material that is up to three-quarters of an inch thick.

However, those who wish to keep larger plants such as vines or trees trim may be looking for something a little larger.

Mr Lamp’l explained lopping pruners have longer handles that could be well suited to such a task, as they offer greater leverage for dealing with thicker branches.

“This style is best for dead wood and thicker limbs,” he remarked, adding: “Because you don’t get as clean a cut, don’t use anvil pruners for cutting live plants and shrubs.”

Those who think this is just the product they are looking for may wish to browse MowDIRECT’s range of tree pruners, many of which are electric or fuel-powered, allowing for a wider variety of potential uses.

Another essential consideration Mr Lamp’l advised taking into account was weeding, which can be achieved with a simple dandelion weeder for smaller areas.

He explained this is an essential activity, as it “is important for multiple reasons, from pulling out long-tap-rooted weeds to chasing down the underground roots of crabgrass, dislodging buried rocks and manoeuvring large, heavy nursery plants around in their new planting holes”.

People with larger areas of land to protect from weeds could consider looking at brushcutters and trimmers, as some of these products are ideal for the preparation of small areas and weeding between crop rows.