cultivator

Tools used for gardening come in many varieties. Any homeowner knows that the key to successfully completing a project is having the correct tools to use. This is as important with gardening as it is when doing plumbing work, carpentry, painting, etc. Having some basic tools used for gardening will help make things easier and more productive in the long run.

With every project, there are tools that you absolutely need to have and then the list of tools that are nice to have since they make your job much easier. This breakdown will help to give you a better understanding of what tools you need, what ones you might want to acquire as your budget allows, and what you should look for when buying them. Don’t forget about power tools for jobs around the house such as weed eaters, pole saws and lawn mowers.

Tools Used For Gardening – Must Haves

Hand Trowel

A hand trowel such as the Fiskars Ergo Garden Tool Set is probably the single most important tool you need for gardening. They make quicker work of planting garden flowers and bulbs, as well as weeding and digging small holes. A garden trowel has a pointed, scoop-shaped metal blade with a short wooden, plastic or metal handle. Look for brightly colored trowels that can be easily seen when laid down in the garden or paint wooden handles with bright paint to make them more visible.

Shovels

Shovels like the Spear Head Spade are important to have on hand when you need to dig big holes for transplanting shrubs/bushes/trees, turning over the soil, or moving bulk items like compost or rock. Look for a shovel with a steel scoop as opposed to aluminum for durability. Scoops are slightly curved with upturned edges to hold materials; they come in either a pointed or flat tip. Pointed tip shovels are typically used for digging and planting in softer ground that has been tilled. Flat tip shovels are more useful in hard packed ground that needs added force to penetrate the soil surface.

Garden Rakes

Garden rakes like the Bully Tools 12-Gauge 16-Inch Bow Rake are stronger than leaf rakes, and play an important role in gardening. They can be used for turning over soil, spreading ground cover, removing weeds, gathering garden debris and tamping soil. Look for a rake that is appropriately sized for your height; ideally the handle rake should reach the bridge of your nose from the floor. Choose a soft grip handle if your hands tire easily or you are prone to blisters.

Pruners

Pruners such as Fiskars Steel Bypass Pruning Shears are an essential tool to have for the garden to handle a variety of cutting jobs. Look for a pair that has a safety catch to hold the blades closed together when not in use, and bypass or crossover blades. Bypass blades cut with a motion similar to scissors where two sharpened blades slice together. Often times one of these blades is curved to allow you to get into tight spaces.

Tools Used For Gardening – Nice to Have Tools:

Loppers

Loppers like the Fiskars 28 Inch Bypass Lopper are larger than pruners and will help to prune branches and suckers that are too big for basic pruners. Long handled varieties will reach higher branches with ease.

Wheelbarrows

Wheelbarrows like the Gorilla Carts Poly Garden Dump Cart make moving heavy items in the garden much easier. They are a back saver when moving rock, mulch, or compost to the garden and hauling garden debris away. When choosing a wheelbarrow first determine your needs; wheelbarrows come in capacities ranging from 2 square feet to 6 square feet. Steel wheelbarrows are heavier to move and can rust but they can carry more weight. They are more suited for moving rocks, or large plants. Plastic wheelbarrows are lighter and typically less expensive to purchase. However they can crack from temperature fluctuations, improper handling, or being loaded with too much weight.

Tiller or Cultivator

A tiller or cultivator like the Earthwise 16-Inch 13.5 Amp Corded Electric Tiller/Cultivator will come in handy if you have a larger garden space, saving you time when you need to work the soil. A cultivator is a smaller piece of equipment and works well for loosening the soil in an existing garden, weeding between rows, and mixing compost into the soil. The smaller stature makes them easier to maneuver and have a cheaper price tag. Tillers are more powerful, and have heavy duty tines to work the soil. They will cost more but have a wider stance and can work ground more quickly.

Best Tools For Gardening

Gardening work will go much more smoothly when you equip yourself with the best tools used in gardening for the job. Having a good quality hand trowel, shovel, garden rake and set of pruners gives you a great basis to your tool collection. Then if money allows, and you’d like to expand you can add items such as a wheelbarrow, a set of loppers and a good garden tiller based on your garden size.