Free Sample
The Complete Handbook of Bulb Planting Tools
A Professional's Field Guide to Selection, Use, and Maintenance of Bulb Planting Tools
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: Understanding Bulb Planting Tools
Bulb planting tools are a distinct category of gardening implements designed for one specific task: making a hole in the soil at the correct depth and width to accommodate a bulb, and then either removing the soil or displacing it to allow placement of the bulb. At first glance, this seems like a simple job that any trowel or shovel could perform. In practice, the physical demands of planting bulbs—especially in high volumes, in heavy soils, or on sloped terrain—make the choice of tool a significant factor in both the quality of the planting and the physical toll on the person doing the work.
What Bulb Planting Tools Are
A bulb planting tool is any device whose primary purpose is to create a planting hole for a bulb. This includes the hand-held bulb planter (also called a bulb trowel), which looks like a short, cylindrical shovel with a closed or open side and a depth gauge marked on the blade. It includes augers that attach to a power drill or a handheld power unit, designed to bore into the soil and pull the plug out with a single twist. It includes the stand-up plunger-style planter, which is a long-handled tool with a foot bar and a soil-removing core. At the largest end of the scale, it includes tractor-mounted or walk-behind mechanical planters that use a chain-driven digging shoe to open a furrow, deposit bulbs from a hopper, and close the soil in a single