The right gardening tools can be the difference between really enjoying being in the garden or being frustrated in the garden. There are tons of tools touted as the “best” gardening tools but honestly, not all of them are really necessary. We’re going to chat about the different types of gardening tools, what they’re used for and share the most common gardening tools that get the job done.
While all of these tools can be found online, most of them can be found at your local nursery or hardware store. And many of these gardening tools can be found at thrift stores and estate sales.
Buy the best quality garden tools you can afford and take care of them by storing them properly in your garden shed or garage. When properly cared for, all of these tools will last a very long time and most can be a once in a lifetime purchase.
If you’re just starting out, don’t think you need to go out and buy all these tools. Just add a few each season until you have the right garden tools for your garden. This list will be different for every seasoned gardener – and that’s how it should be.
Different Tools for Different Tasks
Just as you wouldn’t use a butter knife to cut a steak, you don’t want to use a spoon to dig a hole (although, if that’s all you have it’ll work…lol). Instead you want to use a trowel or shovel, depending on how big the hole needs to be.
Using the right tools for the right tasks will save you time and money in the long run.
Basic Garden Tools Every Gardener Needs
If you don’t have any other gardening tools, you’ll want these garden hand tools. If money is really tight prioritize them based on how often you’ll use them. Some of them can be substituted for things you probably already have in your home until you can purchase quality items.
Watering Can or Garden Hose: Your garden will need water and probably more than you think it will. I know some people love watering cans, but unless your garden is super small, a water hose will serve you better. You can always use a pitcher from the kitchen as a watering can. A water hose and a nozzle with different settings is ideal. If you want the hose to last many seasons, especially if you live in a super hot climate, you’ll want to get a commercial grade hose. Soaker hoses can also make the job of watering a little easier.
Hand Trowel: Trowels are really great for digging small holes for planting or even digging out weeds. Your spoons will thank you for buying a quality trowel. Look for one that has inch markings on it to help you gauge how deep you’re planting transplants.
Hand Pruners and Shears: Pruners are like scissors but better. They have one rounded side that a stem can fit into for easy cutting. Your hands will thank you for using garden bypass pruners instead of scissors for thicker stems. Hand pruners will also give you a clean cut whereas you might get a clean cut with scissors.
Garden Fork: A garden fork is used for loosening soil, turning the compost pile, mixing compost into soil, and harvesting potatoes and other root crops. It can also be used for moving hay, compost and mulch. I never thought I really needed a garden fork until I got one. Then I wondered why I waited so long.
Garden Gloves: For some people gardening gloves are an essential tool for gardening and some people really don’t like gloves. I’m in the latter group. I just don’t like the way they feel on my hands, but if you don’t want dirty fingernails and scrapes on your hands, you need a good pair of gloves. When I wear gloves I wear the ones that have latex over the fingers, I find that the all fabric ones let in too much dirt and I end up with dirty fingernails anyway.
Best Gardening Tools for Weeding
Every garden gets weeds. It doesn’t matter if you use raised beds, practice no-till gardening or row gardening – weeds will eventually pop up. You don’t need all of these tools to get rid of the weeds, just choose the one or two you think is the best tool for your garden.
Hori-Hori Knife: The hori-hori knife is a gardening knife that originated in Japan and is a great tool for wedding and harvesting. The heavy blade is serrated on one side and smooth on the other side. The serrated blade easily cuts through the soil and any tough weed roots. The smooth side easily cuts produce off the the plant.
Weeding Hoe: Also called a stirrup hoe, a weeding how is perfect for scraping small weeds off the surface of the soil. One thing that makes this such a great hoe is that the soil isn’t disturbed when you use it and you aren’t bringing dormant seeds up to the surface. This is a good tool for weeding between rows of plants.
Hand Weeder: A hand weeder looks similar to a grilling fork but the tines are closer together and much shorter. It’s fantastic for precise, deep weeding around plants.
Cape Cod Weeder: This tool serves a similar function as the weeding hoe but is a hand tool so it can get into tight spaces. A Cape Cod weeder is a good choice for weeding raised beds.
Tools for seed starting and planting
Growing plants from seed is a huge money saver. Some seeds can be sown directly into the garden but some do better when they’re started indoors and then transplanted in the garden when they’re a few inches tall. If you live in climate that has a short growing season, you’ll definitely want to start some of your seeds indoors.
Soil Block Builder: I’ve used a soil block builder for years and while there are certainly pros and cons to using one, it has saved me tons of money over the years. This handy tool uses seed starting mix to build little blocks of soil. There’s a divot on the top of the block for the seed. The seed will grow without an individual container. Depending on what you’re growing the plant may outgrow the block and need to be potted up before it goes into the garden.
Yardstick Measuring Tool: Turn a yardstick into the perfect measuring tool for sowing seeds or planting transplants. Correct spacing is an important part of growing a thriving garden and this yardstick measuring tool will take all the guesswork out of spacing. Fill out the form below to get the instructions.
Garden Spade: A garden spade is similar to a hand trowel but larger and with a long handle. It’s really great for digging deep holes for planting fruit trees.
Shovel: I think every avid gardener needs at least one shovel. A long-handled shovel is great for moving organic material and digging wider holes. If you’re shorter or working in a tight space, short-handled shovels might work better for you.
Tools for Harvesting and Storing
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had to “scrounge up” things to put the garden harvest in. The good thing is that you can pretty much use any kind of container for holding the harvest and most of the tools needed for harvesting are just general gardening tools mentioned above.
For harvesting, you want tools that will give a clean cut, so you can use something like hori-hori knives but a pocket knife with sharp blades can also work well. Hand pruners and garden shears are essential garden tools for harvesting. The main thing to keep in mind is that whatever tool you use, you want a sharp edge.
A wheelbarrow is an indispensable tool for the garden. It’s great for hauling mulch and compost, removing garden waste, and harvesting. You can put the harvest directly in the wheelbarrow or you can put buckets or baskets in the wheelbarrow to separate the harvested vegetables. If you have trouble managing a wheelbarrow, a garden wagon is a great substitute.
You can also use food grade 5 gallon buckets (your local bakery is a great place to get these for free) or find baskets at your local thrift store. There’s no need to spend much money on these items since there are really just used for bringing in the harvest.
Conclusion
You can grow a bountiful vegetable garden without spending a lot of money on tools. Just start with the most basic gardening tools – something to dig with, something to cut with, and something to water with.
As your garden grows, you can add a tool here and there based on what you’re needs are. Just remember that you don’t always need to buy new, you can get useful gardening tools at estate sales and thrift stores. If you do need to buy new, try to wait until the end of the summer when many stores put their gardening stuff on clearance.