Today, I wanna talk about using a shovel, especially the “point shovel” type. It’s pretty basic, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t really get the most out of their shovels.
So, I started my day needing to dig a hole for a new tree I got. First thing I did was grab my shovel. I’ve got a few different kinds, but for digging, I always go for my trusty round-point shovel. It’s just the best for breaking ground, you know?
I got to the spot where I wanted the tree, and I started digging. Now, the key here is to use your legs, not your back. I placed the shovel where I wanted to start the hole, put one foot on the top edge of the blade, and pushed down hard. Then, I rocked the shovel back and forth a bit to loosen the soil. I lifted the shovel with the dirt and tossed it aside.
- Push down with your foot.
- Rock the shovel.
- Lift and toss the dirt.
I kept at it, repeating those steps. Push, rock, lift, toss. It’s a rhythm, really. You get into it after a while. And I made sure to clear out the loose dirt every so often, so I wasn’t just digging the same dirt over and over.
Important
If I was just moving a pile of dirt or something, I might have used a square-point shovel, those are better for scooping. But for digging, round-point is king in my experience.
After a while, I had a hole big enough for my tree. I did use my shovel to tidy up the edges a bit, make sure it was nice and even. Then, I popped the tree in, filled the hole back up with the dirt I’d dug out, and gave it a good watering.
Using a shovel is simple, but there’s definitely a right way and a wrong way to do it. Hope this little walkthrough of my day helps someone out there!
