The Best Type Of Shovel For Digging Gravel

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Gravel can be useful in a variety of spaces around your property, including driveways, pathways, and garden beds. While there are common mistakes everyone makes when using gravel in landscaping, not having the right tools can be one of them. Digging through these rocks is definitely hard work, and using incorrect shovels can make this process even more challenging and time-consuming. Before you buy extra garden tools, it turns out that one of the most commonly used shovels is the best for digging gravel. A round-pointed shovel is considered ideal for digging through these rocks, but you might also need a square shovel and a gravel rake on hand for other purposes.

Many people have standard round-headed shovels in their garages or toolsheds. While they are perhaps best known for their ability to dig in soil and clay, round-pointed shovels can also be helpful for digging gravel that is stuck in soil, or if you're digging out coarse or medium-sized gravel by itself. Also called pointed-digger shovels, these rounded shovels have tips at the end that not only work through tough materials, but can also hold on to them as you're digging. If you're unsure of the exact type of round shovel you have, you can tell the difference between a round-pointed version and a round digger shovel by their different blades. While a traditional round digger shovel has a curved edge, the pointed version is shaped like a triangle at the end of its blade.

When choosing the right shovel for your garden, remember that a round-pointed shovel is best for digging gravel. When it comes to scooping up gravel though, a square shovel does a better job at scraping and moving these small rocks. Unlike round-pointed shovels that have sharp points to help dig in dirt and soil, square shovels can effectively remove large and heavy debris. This includes gravel as well as larger stones, sawdust, and other materials. If you want to scoop up a large amount of gravel, this type of shovel will make the process smoother and less time-consuming because you can gather up large amounts at once. Square-pointed shovels are also more effective at removing materials from hard surfaces, such as cement or asphalt. This feature can be beneficial if you have a pile of gravel you are trying to move from a hard surface to another part of your property.

Another useful gravel tool to have on hand is a bow rake. This type of rake has sturdy, short tines, which are helpful for general gravel maintenance, weed control, and regularly raking a gravel driveway. While you can buy a gravel-specific rake for these purposes, such as the Walensee Bow Rake, any sturdy metal gardening rake can work. Avoid plastic rakes or those with longer tines, as these tend to break against the hard surface of gravel rocks.