Stores offer shovels with various handle lengths, blade shapes—from rectangular to rounded—as well as square-nosed shovels… Which one should you choose?
It all depends on the purpose...
A garden shovel with a flat rectangular blade and a short handle is suitable for many tasks. It is convenient for forming beds, removing sod in new areas, shredding the removed sod or plant residues before adding them to compost, as well as spreading compost and performing other tasks.
A shovel with a rounded blade and a short handle, curved at an angle to the blade, is designed for digging and transplanting seedlings, shrubs, and large plants.
A shovel with a rounded blade and an extended handle, due to its length, provides greater force and is used for heavier earthworks, such as turning compacted soil or digging large drainage trenches.
A square-nosed shovel with a wide square blade and a short handle is intended for working with loose materials such as sand, sawdust, gravel, and peat.
A narrow square-nosed shovel with a rounded blade and a long handle is used for digging round holes for small seedlings and small drainage trenches.
