Paul James' Favorite Garden and Lawn Watering Cans

Although watering cans seem to function in essentially the same way, there are some major differences among them--for instance, capacity. There are little watering cans for watering small houseplants like African violets to big cans, which hold a whopping 2.5 gallons and are great for watering trees.

There's an upside and a downside to using each. Small cans are lightweight even when filled with water, but they do require frequent trips to the faucet. Large cans, on the other hand, don't require frequent trips to the faucet, but they can get heavy. Remember, a gallon of water weighs eight pounds, so when filled to the brim, a jumbo can may weigh as much as 24 pounds or more. "Now lifting it might not be that big of a deal for some gardeners, but watering with it can be a bit awkward and place considerable strain on the back," warns James.

Another way to prevent back injury is to buy a can with a handle that's made for two hands (figure B).

James recommends purchasing a can that provides both a handle and a comfortable grip. A wide handle with rounded edges (figure C), for example, is easy on the hands even when the can is filled with water. Avoid handles with sharp edges and uncomfortable grips.

Handle placement is important as well because you want a water-filled can to balance perfectly; otherwise water splashes out of the can as you walk. The length and shape of the spout varies on watering cans, and some are better than others depending on how and where the can is used. Standard-sized spouts (figure D) are ideal for all-purpose watering, but cans with long spouts work best for hard-to-reach spots.