Now here’s a must tool for the iris lover. Irises have to be dug up or at least thinned about every three years. Crowded irises have few blooms. A spading fork is the preferred tool for this chore. It will lift the plant and leave much of the soil behind. I have found that there is an advantage to having a fork with only 2 tines. I can more easily maneuver between adjacent plants when just removing outer rhizomes. But the main advantage to having only 2 tines is that it is twice as easy to penetrate the soil. By cutting off the outside tines and leaving the horizontal bar that connected them, you still have a bar upon which to shove with your foot.
So how can I get a two tiner, you ask. Simply give me a call or e-mail. I will modify a fork you already have, or see if I can get one at a garage sale for you. If you have an angle grinder with a cutting disc, have at it yourself. Remember to remove sharp edges.
None of this appeal to you? Fine. Keep using that favorite shovel or fork that you’ve used for years. Often change is an uncomfortable experience. I understand.
Stan, The Tool Man