Hi everyone! A lot of people ask what kind of tools I use or recommend. I'm going to list my favorites here. I will also provide a link to the amazon listing, and if you use that link it costs you nothing, but you support the channel all the same. I'm also not going to just put anything here. If I put something here, I OWN it, I USE it, and I would RECOMMEND it. This is my promise to you. These are the best products I have used since i started gardening.
1) Radius Garden Root Slayer Shovel
Canada: https://amzn.to/3antrYh
If you are planting trees where there were previously trees or bushes, then this is the shovel for you. The shovel has serrated blades on the side, so you can put the side against a root, turn the blade 10 degrees, then jump on it, and this thing will go through a root 3 inches in diameter, cutting it like a saw.
For smaller roots, the tip of the shovel is sharpened, and concave so you can place it on the root, jump on the shovel and it will cut through a 1-2 inch root in 1 go. If you are planting a tree and digging a wide hole, you can bust through any root using it like a saw (angle and jump down on it - don't hurt yourself!) and bust through anything. The other option would be to dig around the root and use pruners on it. This will dull your pruners like crazy (because you pick up grit and dirt in the cut), and it's insanely time consuming.
When I bought this shovel it was $150 bucks and it was the best $150 I've ever spent. I have been HARD on this thing (185 lb jumping gorilla on it, for years now) and it's as solid as it ever was. I have no doubt I will break this thing as some point with the abuse I put on it, but so far it shows zero signs of wear. I cannot recommend this thing enough - that's why it is number 1 on my list and the first product I'm adding to this series.
Even if you won't use this yet, at some point if you are making a food forest you will need to remove a dead tree, or something, and it will come in handy. So don't forget about it.
Just please be careful, I don't need you hear about you jumping off a roof landing on this thing to get through a 10 inch root. Also be careful with underground wires and such. This thing will saw through the cladding on wire like it's butter. It's not sharp so much as the teeth are so strong.
You also don't need to be a strong man to use this thing. I have cut through 2 inch roots with this thing just pushing down on it (using the side of the shovel), lifting it back up, then pushing down and sawing it. Just take your time and saw through that root.
I also suggest picking up a steel sharpening kit/whetstone, which I'm sure will be a product I suggest at some point. First though I want to get to some of my other favorite tools.
If you are gardening and you don't have this thing, fix that. And of course, start your shopping at the links above. Even if you end up selecting a different version of this thing (with a longer handle, a lighter version, etc) then it still helps the channel that you started your shopping at the links below:
Radius Garden Root Slayer Shovel
Canada: https://amzn.to/3antrYh
Happy Gardening all. Keith