Landscape & Garden Carts & Wagons

Design

• A garden cart has two wheels, a hopper to carry the load, and a handle for pushing and guiding the cart. Wheel size varies among designs. Carts with smaller wheels sit low to the ground and typically have a small hopper made of molded plastic or metal. Designs with large, bicycle-type wheels are typically constructed of a metal frame with wooden siding and hopper bottom. Garden wagons have four wheels, with the front two on a bar or axle attached to a pulling handle. The body is typically made of metal. Some look like a child's little red wagon while larger, landscaping-scale wagons have built-up side walls or rails.

Uses

• Choose a garden cart if you have a small yard or established garden. A small wagon or cart is sufficiently sturdy to transport a couple of flats of bedding plants, a bag of steer manure, or a few gardening tools. If you are hauling containerized trees, loads of topsoil or other bulky items, a large-wheeled cart is better suited to the job. Look for one with a drop-down front panel to make loading and unloading easier. When a full-scale landscaping project, such as a rock garden or retaining wall, is in your future, rely on a heavy-duty landscape cart or sturdy wagon to haul the heavy material.

Benefits

• The stability of two or four wheels on the ground gives landscaping and garden carts and wagons an advantage over wheelbarrows that have a single point of ground contact and potential to tip over. Large-wheeled carts roll smoothly over uneven terrain, even when bearing a heavy load. Unlike a wheelbarrow, in which the entire weight is lifted and maneuvered by your own body, the weight of a cart or wagon load is borne by its wheels, reducing the potential for back and muscle strain.

Care and Maintenance

• Like all garden equipment, carts and wagons get dirty with routine use. A quick spray of water washes off dust and light dirt between projects. If the equipment is heavily soiled, a bucket of soapy water, a scrub brush and high-pressure spray from the garden hose will bring it back to a sparkling sheen. Touch up scratches on metal components with rust-resistant spray paint. For bicycle-wheel garden carts, keep a tube-repair kit handy in case a tire is punctured. Grease the wheels, wipe away moisture from all surfaces, and store your cart or wagon in a dry shed or the garage over winter.