One of the enjoyable things about gardening is the chance to feel the warm, moist earth in your hands, and smelling the rich dark earth while you handle the roots of plants, herbs and the like; the less fortunate city slickers miss out on this a lot. But the more you get down and dirty in your garden, the more you need your gardening gloves.
Without gloves, your hands would soon suffer from blistering and chapped skin, not to mention the hazards of soil borne parasites and thistles. Gloves are there to help you indulge in all the gardening you want without worrying anymore about your hands.
The gardening glove you need is largely dependent on the way you do your gardening. Some gloves offer protection against specific substances or things, for example, leather gloves are not the best for working with chemicals or water. Many gardening gloves are specialized for pruning thorns, refilling gasoline tanks, or using a chain saw, while others are for general tasks such as raking, digging, and weeding.
Although you need not wear them everyday, you need your gardening gloves on when you do weeding. The gardening gloves are just another tool that is available to you, and like all tools, it has its uses. I still firmly believe that some gardening should be done without a gardening glove. You can learn a lot from the texture of the dirt, the feel of your plants, and other sensations you get while gardening. But sometimes, garden gloves are completely indispensable. After all, weeds have some good adaptations to stop you from pulling them out. The only way to beat their stingers and strong roots is with a trowel and a gardening glove.
Spend a while to find the gardening gloves that are the perfect fit for your hands. Gloves that are too big have a tendency to slip off while gloves that are too small could cause aches and cramps. If your glove doesn’t fit, there is no point wearing it because a bad fitting gardening glove defeats the whole purpose of wearing one, and you might end up with blistered hands. To find a glove with the best fit possible, try the gloves on both hands, make a fist, and imitate the movements you make when gardening. If there is no pinching or slipping and the glove is comfortable – it’s a good match.
There are many different grades of gardening gloves, depending on brand, material and quality. Most gloves can be washed in cool water and then air dried.
Cotton or polyester gloves are good for all general purpose chores. These are the popular types and suitable for light chores in cool and dry weather.
Leather gloves are heavier and more costly than cotton gloves, but they can also be used for general purpose gardening.
Chemical resistant gloves will help protect your hands against many types of chemicals like oils, acids, herbicides, pesticides, etc.
Grip enhancing gloves are designed with rubber dots for extra gripping power. You may find these gloves handy for shoveling and heavy pruning tasks, helping you in the gripping of the larger garden tools.
Cut and puncture resistant gloves are designed to offer extra protection against sharp edges. In some cases, they can be effective protection against stinging ants, spiders, centipedes or scorpions. They are usually costlier than the other common types of gardening gloves.
The serious gardener will definitely have a few pairs of his/her own gardening gloves on standby for everyday work. There are many specialized tasks that require specialized gloves; wearing them will ensure a much more comfortable gardening experience. Go get yourself a few different pairs and enjoy your gardening!
