Growing plants at home may seem like an elaborate task, which in all honesty, it is; however, it’s also exceptionally rewarding.
When you get to hold the fruit of your labor- literally – the feeling it evokes is simply divine. Plus, growing and gathering crops is an excellent activity for some family bonding.
Zip up your little ones in overalls, put on your boots, and off you go for a fun time with the family.
Although you might in for a lot of ‘mud fights’ and you are most likely going to return covered in Mother Nature, but it’ll all be worth the trouble when you eat the crops you grew with your loved ones.
They’ll probably taste a little sweeter and more flavorsome.
And even if you are not the one to plan group activities, gardening can be your getaway from the entrapping hectic pace of life that all of us fall into.
Whether you are a novice or an expert, the garden can be your sanctuary and gardening your solace.
The soothing feeling of being close to nature, the fruits of gardening, and the anticipation of cooking food with your own vegetation are all things that can be quite addictive once a person gets into the groove of growing crops at home.
As we have already established, gardening is a gratifying activity, but you can only reap its fruit after some necessary preparation, which includes gathering tools, planting seeds, and looking after the seedlings.
Out of the three tasks, the latter two come later on the timeline while the former takes the first spot. Gathering the right tools is a prerequisite for a successful gardening endeavor.
If you wish to grow the lushest crops in your home garden, you must get the necessary gardening devices.
Now, whether you were a gardening enthusiast to begin with or our sermon on the greatness of gardening made you one, to get your hands dirty in the soil, you need to know all about the required equipment.
From a trowel to a wheelbarrow, many tools are used in gardening. However, not all of them are indispensable.
You can swap them with other utensils. With that said, having exclusive tools for particular tasks makes the job much easier and more efficient.
To help you make a list of gardening tools to have in your shed, we decided to round up the top twenty must-have utensils for you.
Now without further ado, let’s jump straight into the essential gardening tools.
If you’d like to see a graphical breakdown of the gardening tools, we got you covered:
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1. Trowel
The trowel is a gardener’s best friend. Although it may not be the only one, it is definitely one of them.
A hand-held trowel is extremely important for a number of gardening tasks.
From breaking up clumps of soil and digging up holes to plant seeds to transplanting seedlings and pulling out weeds, a trowel works for all of them.
A good quality trowel can be a worthwhile investment if you wish to be a part of the gardener’s club for the long haul.
It will last you a significant while allowing you to carry out most of your gardening duties effortlessly.
Whether it’s an expert large-scale gardener or a mid-level container gardener, all of them will have a trowel in their tool belt.
If you are just beginning to dip your toes into the field of gardening, consider splurging on a sturdy trowel with a wooden handle.
And if you don’t want to go all out, you can work with a mid-tier trowel for some time, and once you get the hang of gardening, you can switch to a boujie one.
2. Pruning Spears (Pruners)
For a healthy batch of crops, regular pruning is a must.
Without periodic trimming and snipping of plants, they can lose all their vigor.
Therefore, if you wish to harvest plush fruits and vegetables, you must prune your crops using a sharp pruner.
A pruner is a versatile tool. It helps you get rid of dead foliage, cut infected bushes, and harvest fresh produce.
It resembles a plier, but the two instruments cannot be used interchangeably. You need to have a functioning pruner to tend to your vegetation.
3. Pruning Saw
Most people associate a saw with high-stake woodwork projects that involve cutting down might trunks and tree barks.
While heavy-duty chainsaws are used for that purpose, pruning saws are not. A pruning saw is an advanced version of a pruning spear.
It is used to nip a bit more thick branches that do not warrant the use of loppers but can also not be removed with a regular pruner.
A pruning saw is visibly quite different than a pruning spear. It looks more like a knife and can be pretty sharp. Therefore, be sure to keep it somewhere safe away from kids.
Also, using a pruning saw may require you to exert some pressure over the tool, but doing so can lead to an accident.
Many a time, amateur gardeners end up slitting their hands because their angle was off while using a pruning saw, and an excessive amount of pressure moved the implement driving it into the user’s hand.
To avoid having such a mishap, be sure to wear thick gloves, hold the utensil carefully, be precise with your angle, and don’t exert too much force.
A pruning saw is already sufficiently sharp, so you don’t need to put in too much effort while using it.
4. Loppers
Loppers are the advanced version of pruners.
When your garden matures, and your crops start swaying uncontrollably, that’s when you should get a set of loppers that is designed for thicker branches.
Generally, beginners don’t need to invest in loppers for a while. One should master the use of a pruner first then move on to using a pair of loppers.
5. Hose/ Water Can
Your plants will be as healthy as freely you water them. And for copiously watering plantation, one needs a reliable carrier of water.
If you plan to do large-scale gardening, you should make arrangements for installing a hose so that the water can reach all of your crops.
But if you wish to be strictly a container gardener, then a watering-can will be enough to carry your watering burdens.
Regardless of the equipment you use for watering your plants, be sure to do it early morning. Spraying crops in the afternoon will not be too useful as most of the water will evaporate immediately.
Similarly, evening watering will also not be fruitful as the water will most likely log the soil and form a breeding ground for unhealthy bacteria and fungi.
6. Garden Rake
A garden rake is a gardening implement that spreads and clears the soil by removing the unwanted weed.
It is a much sturdier tool than a leaf rake, which is used to slough dead leaves off a field.
A garden rake has a robust, typically metallic, toothed bar that takes away the unwanted elements from the soil.
Although a garden rake is exceptionally effective, it may not be of much help over a tough piece of land. For an overgrown hard field, use a garden hoe instead of a rake.
7. Garden Hoe
During the early days of gardening in Europe, gardeners had to drain themselves to plant seeds and spread the soil (especially if the field was tough) because they didn’t have the right tools.
Thankfully, with time, many horticulture implements were invented, and out of all of them, the garden hoe turned out to be a massive help to farmers.
A garden hoe somewhat looks like a garden rake, but the former is much more robust. It easily gets through hard soil and clears stubborn weed plants.
It is also the best tool to create long trenches in the ground to plant seeds and have multiple swaths of crops. If you want to do large-scale farming, you should spend a little on a good-quality garden hoe.
8. Angled Shovel
The shovel is another essential gardening tool that is used to move soil around, dig up the ground, and replant seeds.
A shovel can be of many shapes and sizes. But for a newbie, an angled-shovel is a perfect choice.
However, if you want to work on a large field, then you should consider getting a spade, which is flat at the top, unlike the angled shovel, which is triangular.
9. Spade/ Full Flat Digging Shovel
Many people believe that having just one shovel in their garden is enough.
While it may be more convenient, it is not enough. Since different shovels have separate shapes, they serve a different purpose.
Therefore, you cannot expect an angled-shovel to move patches of grass because that’s well-suited for a flat digging shovel.
Shovels are primarily used to dig up the soil and move it around, which is why people assume that that’s the only job the said instrument does.
But as mentioned earlier, a shovel can be of different shapes; therefore, it can do more than one job. And a digging shovel is ideal for precision work other than excavating.
If you want to move around a patch of vegetation from one spot on your garden to another, an angled shovel will not get the job done.
You will need a full flat digging shovel to neatly pick up the particular biscuit of soil and place it somewhere else.
10. Gloves
A pair of thick gloves may not seem like a vital gardening tool, but trust us, it is more than that.
Gardening gloves are crucial for successful gardening. You cannot grow crops if you keep getting nipped or mudded.
Even if you are not much of a fan of cleanliness, you still need to protect your hands from blisters, which you will get while gardening if you don’t wear gloves.
Therefore, having a good-quality pair of gloves is as essential as any other gardening tool. When choosing gardening gloves, inspecting the material is crucial.
The two things you should consider when checking the material are breathability and thickness.
Make sure to buy gloves that are made from breathable fabric so that your hands are not pruned up once you are done working.
Secondly, purchasing thick gloves is essential to keep the hands safe, but for people with sensitive skin that can cause skin troubles.
Therefore, thoroughly look into the material of gloves before purchasing.
11. Wheelbarrow
A wheelbarrow is a significant component of a gardener’s support system. It helps you with all the heavy lifting and allows you to carry compost wherever you need it.
Although there are other types of wheelbarrows on the market, the two-wheeler is the best option for a beginner.
A wheelbarrow is undoubtedly an essential gardening tool. And although it doesn’t require thorough upkeep, it does need to be maintained a little.
If you want your compost carrier to move effortlessly, be sure to oil the axle regularly.
Also, watch it once in a while and use sandpaper to smooth out any rough surfaces. A well-maintained wheelbarrow can last you for a while without causing any trouble.
12. Weeder
Weeds can become a nuisance if not tackled during the early stages.
And to do so, a weeder is your ally. It’s a horticulture implement with a considerably long stick that pulls out weeds quite effectively.
However, working with a weeder can be pretty time-consuming. You need to pull out each bit of weed individually, which means you’ll have to spend a lot of time in your garden.
Therefore, make sure to keep water with you so that you can hydrate yourself when the sun gets too ruthless and sucks you dry.
13. Gardening Scissors
Many people may tell you that gardening scissors are not necessary.
But if you are a perfectionist and wish to keep your crops as neatly trimmed as possible, then you need to have scissors in your tool belt.
Scissors can also be your helping hand during a bunch of other chores. For instance, opening packets of seeds, pulling out weeds if you don’t have a weeder or rake in reach.
Therefore, owning a pair of gardening scissors is not a bad choice. But just make sure you buy one with a sharp blade so that it works seamlessly.
14. Soil Knife
A soil knife is an essential gardening implement; however, not many gardeners know about it or use it.
The soil knife comes from a Japanese origin and is often referred to as Hori Hori, and that can be one of the reasons why many people don’t know about that.
Although it is not as popular as the other regular gardening tools, it is still pretty useful. A soil knife, as the name pretty much gives away, works for the soil.
It is used to do all kinds of digging and cutting of the mud. If the soil in your garden is often clumped up, then a soil knife can be your savior.
It is excellent at breaking clumps of mud and mixing and spreading the soil. Soil knives are typically dual-side serrated, so you must store it safely away from kids.
Also, just like most gardening tools, when buying a soil knife, choose one with a stainless steel blade and a sturdy handle that offers superior grip.
15. Leaf Rakes
If you are one of those who completely immerse yourself in activities, you would probably like your garden to be as tidy as possible.
And to achieve that, you need to have a good-quality leaf rake. A typical leaf rake has a large fan-like blade made of a soft, flexible material.
It is a must-have utensil for the fall season; otherwise, the crunchy yellow leaves in your garden will drive you crazy and gather ants.
16. A Small Stool
Before you start wondering how a stool is characterized as a tool, let us tell you that in our dictionary, a tool is anything that facilitates and makes a task relatively easier.
If you apply that definition, then a small stool is definitely an essential gardening tool.
Gardening is a time-consuming task. Whether you do it as a hobby or a job, you need to give it a significant chunk of your time to yield results.
Having a stool can make your life much easier and save your knees from unnecessary pain.
When we say a stool, we mean a flat stepping structure on which you can kneel. It’s not a typical stool that’s used to reach top shelves.
Since it is used while tending to vegetation, naturally, it has to be close to the ground. To avoid confusion, you can look for a garden kneeler or seat.
Many hardware stores recognize gardening stools as kneelers. Therefore, using that terminology will help you avoid any kind of misunderstanding while buying a stool.
17. Knee Pads
Just a reminder: Kindly apply our definition of a tool in this context, too, so that you can consider knee pads a gardening tool.
With that said, knee pads and garden kneelers are essential, but if you buy only one of them, you are good to go.
If you don’t want to press your knees against a synthetic surface for long durations or if stools are generally not your thing, you can swap a garden stool with knee pads.
They will protect your knees from any scrapes or cuts that you might get.
Just like gardening gloves, when buying knee pads, look into the material, and buy a product that comes with substantial padding.
Also, since knees are joints, they must be protected by a flexible material that will take the form of the joints at any given moment.
Therefore, don’t forget to check if the knee pads you wish to buy are made from a bendable material.
18. Leaf Blower
When it comes to getting rid of unwanted dead leaves in your garden, you can get the job done through a bunch of ways.
We have already discussed a leaf rake, but using it can be time-consuming.
If you are short on time on a particular day or are generally always in a hurry, a leaf blower can make matters much more comfortable and faster.
Using a leaf blower to-well blow away leaves is a golden way of getting rid of all the fallen leaves from every nook and cranny of your in-home garden.
All you need to do is use the machine, move all the leaf litter to a corner, then press a button and voila! All the leaves end up in a bag ready to be shipped off in the garbage truck.
19. Weed Trimmer/ Brush Cutter
A weed trimmer has the same relationship with a regular weeder as a leaf blower does with a leaf rake.
If you find manual pulling out of weed exhausting, then you are not alone. A lot of people share your emotions, which is why we have the glorious weed trimmer available on the garden tools market.
A weed trimmer is an electric instrument that removes weed from the surface of the ground, which can be considered as a drawback of the said gadget.
Since it doesn’t pull out the weeds from their roots, they grow back after a while, whereas with a manual weeder, you get to uproot the offending plants from their source, so your vegetation stays weed-free for a much longer duration.
Nonetheless, if you want to get done with de-weeding your vegetation as quickly as possible, go for a weed trimmer, which is also sometimes referred to as a strimmer.
20. Lawnmower
It goes without saying that for a tidy lawn, you need a mower.
No garden will look appealing if the grass is untidy. Therefore, you must invest in a good-quality lawnmower to keep your in-home garden in tiptop shape.
A lawnmower can be manual or electric. Both get the job done, so which one is right for you depends on your preference and how much effort you want to put in mowing your lawn because naturally, an electrical device requires less effort.
There you have it, folks! The top twenty must-have gardening tools to master the art of gardening.
