Gardeners with bad backs, what tools or techniques do you love?

[CatNamedEaster]

Most of the tools I have are freebies given by family so don't necessarily suit me (e.g. my spade and fork are probably too big for me) and I have problems with my back so I'm trying to think of what might make life easier.
1st on the list is a stool (like a fishing one!) so I can avoid bending to do tasks that are between ground and standing level.
Was also thinking about one of those forks with a corkscrew type blade that apparently makes weeding quicker than a straight fork. Are they any good??
Anything else you find good for helping you garden for more than half an hour at a time?

From a technique perspective, I want to start incorporating grit, manure, bark etc, as I have heavy soil, so helping to make it easier to work with on going is also on my list!

From a technique perspective, I want to start incorporating grit, manure, bark etc, as I have heavy soil, so helping to make it easier to work with on going is also on my list
I don’t have a bad back but I only dig to put in new plants or remove weeds too big to hoe off.
I would just dump the grit, compost etc straight on top!

Yeah I was thinking that too! I saw a gardening programme where they said you should let the worms do the work for you to save your back

Yes, go 'no dig' ! Definitely don't bother digging in compost.

An allotment friend of mine has a handle halfway down her spade, as she has a shiny back. She digs a bit, but mostly uses the spade for putting new plants in (ie digging a hole), and shovelling stuff.

Raised beds?
Ahoe with which to weed, rather then bending down? Avoiding weeding by mulching, and/or planting heavily to avoid naked soil? Just embracing the weeds? Doing little and often rather than hours every now and then?

What actions or movements are bad for you? Do you have a hose with a long lance end? That has been a game changer for my mum as it turned out she was doing an odd posture when she watered with small hand gun.

My DH for all the digging-based activities

A decent kneeler. Really helps.

Main thing that aggravates it is bending so yes am planning to put raised beds in for veggies. I do also try to add ground cover plants to minimise exposed soil.

A kneeler might be a good idea, I use one of the garden chair cushions at the moment so whoever sits on that ends up with a muddy bum!

I don't get how a hoe is effective so I've always sat down and used a hand fork. How would a hoe deal with invasive weeds or something like a dandelion? Or is it mainly for tiny weeds?
I wish I could embrace them but ever since I used a bag of compost last year the patch it went down on has been taken over by some shitty spreading weed that I have to see to every week or it twines around every other plant in reach .

My spine is full of metal holding it all together so I really appreciate your need. I work an allotment and 2 of the tools I love are a chillington hoe for digging & a Japanese razor hoe for weeding.

The chillington has a long handle and looks like a spade that has been bent at right angles to the shaft. You can haul up a lot of earth without bending. If you sharpen the edge you can hack through roots.

The razor hoe is great for close work when kneeling ( good thick pad recommend) and is useful for grubbing out tap roots & delicate work between plants you wish to keep.

As a bit of advice, my physiotherapist recommend a 20 minute rule. Don't do anything for more than 20 mins. Change your working position, you can always come back to the first job. Or even better, have a sit down with a gin & tonic😀
Hope your back gets easier OP

Weirdly I didnt have a bad back either. When I first started as a gardener I used to get a sore lower back, but after 6 months or so I didn't. It occasionally comes on if I spend a whole day bent over with a hedge trimmer when doing a shin height hedge.

I think my back has somehow realigned because I recently took up yoga again and as soon as I started to feel realigned I started again getting a bad back.

So I think the key is consistency. Daily. Its all in the knees as much as possible (warning - which will wear out instead but at least you can wear a patellar band or knee sleeve). Think 'crouching monk'

re. The hoe - I only really use it to jostle the surface to disturb new seedlings from establishing.

If you have bind weed unfurl it from the plant but keep it growing in a direction away from the plant and then when you have a good amount of leaf - use round up gel directly on the leaves.

And yes no dig all the way :)

I have one of these

www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-28163-Handle-Garden-Tiller/dp/B00BWRAS3E/ref=sr_1_25?hvlocphy=1006871&hvnetw=g&keywords=long+handled+weeding+tools&hvadid=259130563912&qid=1618898356&dchild=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1PSDBhDbARIsAPeTqreGO7DYr9cM6ZvX05rVf1OyOPVhgy6c9w5QI3RW9w37eoCCkwLhM6caAoi8EALw_wcB&hydadcr=5940_1827702&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&hvtargid=kwd-310932359412&adgrpid=52134821174&hvrand=16805842334665867439&sr=8-25

which is great for deep-rooted weeds like dandelions.

I also came across a set of hand tools (fork, trowel, claw cultivator, chillngton-type hoe and a couple of other things) that share a telescopic handle that makes them about waist high, and that's come in very handy. Unfortunately, I can't recall where I got them from, but I'll see if my bank statement gives any clues.

If your fork, spade etc are too tall for you, they'll knacker your back. I find the Kent and Stowe "ladies" tools are the right height for me (I'm 5'6"). And they're a bit lighter, too.

But I think the key is not to overdo it, tbh. Little and often, rather than spending all day at it.

I have a good kneeler with handles to help push up again and a Grumpy Gardener Cultimate Weeder.
Love my grumpy gardener as it is great for hooking out weeds. Doesn’t bend like a lot of cheaper tools and does everything so I don’t need to keep getting up to go look for my hand trowel.

I've got a fork with a really long handle (about 5') which is brilliant, you can get so much leverage for loosening the soil. It doesn't have a handle at the top, just a plain pole like a hoe.

No dig definitely. For weeding a memory foam kneeler, I've also got some memory foam knee pads.

A small sack truck for moving heavier things like bags of compost around.

Although funnily enough, when I do get tightness in my lower back a short session of weeding by bending at the waist does it the word of good. Mine is just muscular though.

Sorry, just coming back to this. Thanks for all the great ideas.
Sadly my knees can't take a huge strain either as too many workouts at the start of lockdown means they are as crunchy as a biscuit pack now (no pain but the noise they make if I kneel too much makes me feel sick!).

I'll look at all your recommendations. Love the tip for bindweed too.