Essential Gardening Tools with Names and Uses
Here is a list of essential gardening tools with names and uses that every gardener needs. There are probably endless types of gardening equipment available for purchase but what tools do you really need in your shed to have a successful garden?
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Minimalist Gardening
It might come as a surprise but there are actually very few tools you really need to have a successful garden. My first gardening kit I got as a wedding present only had a handful of tools. They were cheap and not made to last a lifetime but they helped me get started.
Gardening is a passion of mine. I grew up gardening. And just weeks after getting married, I broke ground on my own garden. Over the last 13 years since getting married and starting my own garden, I’ve found there are very few tools I really need to be successful. Here are the tools I feel are most valuable for the home garden.
Purchase Quality
It would be better to purchase just a few good quality multipurpose tools than to have a shed full of cheap random tools that hardly get use.
However, if you don’t have the budget to purchase quality right now, cheap tools do work as well. They won’t last a lifetime but they will get the job done. Don’t let cost stop you from starting a garden.
Essential Gardening Tools with Names and Uses
Gardening Hand Tools
Trowel
A trowel is a small hand shovel that will get a lot of use in the garden. For this reason it is good to invest in a high quality trowel. I have bent or broken more trowels than I care to admit before investing in a high quality one. A trowel is really useful for planting out small seedlings or bulbs and digging up deep taproot weeds like dandelions. It is the perfect size to carry around and get jobs done.
Garden Rake or Hand Cultivator
A garden rake or a cultivator, as it is sometimes referred to, is perfect for loosening up the top layer of soil. It is useful for disturbing small weeds and preparing the soil for planting seeds or seedlings. It’s small size helps to get in and around plants for weeding as well.
Dutch Weeder Hand Hoe
The dutch weeder hand hoe has a sharp blade that works well to scrape the weeds from the surface of the soil just as they are starting to come up. Because of its design it allows you to get right up close to the plant to scrape the weeds. This tool is great if you are trying to keep soil disturbance to a minimum. It also works well to dig a small trench for planting.
Hori Hori Garden Knife
This hori hori garden knife is very popular and for good reason. It can do a little bit of everything; like weeding, cultivating, digging, measuring and cutting. It is very sharp and will cut you if you are not careful. Ask me how I know. Although I’ve enjoyed this tool, I will say, it isn’t the first I grab to use.
Dibber or Dibbler
The dibber or dibbler a small planting tool that is useful for planting seeds, bulbs or transplanting small seedlings. It usually has measure marks on it that allow you to plant to the correct depth in the soil. This makes planting really efficient.
Gardening Gloves
Although it is very enjoyable sometimes to garden with your bare hands in the dirt, gloves do come in very handy not only for keeping hands cleaner but especially if you are dealing with sharp or prickly stems. A pair of light weight nitrile or canvas gloves are great for regular garden work and a thicker pair of leather gloves for more protection when working with thorns are nice to have.
Long Handled Garden Tools
Shovel
A shovel has rounded tip and is best for digging, scooping and moving soil. This tool comes in handy when planting out large potted bushes, trees or plants that have a large root already. It is also helpful when preparing the soil in your garden space, whether that is hand tilling, digging out rocks or applying compost.
Spade
A spade is similar to a regular shovel but it has a flat tip and is better used for edging and scraping rather than digging. This type of tool would come in handy when scraping up the last of a pile of mulch or compost and edging around the perimeter of your garden.
Stirrup Hoe
A stirrup hoe is extremely helpful for weeding. It has a sharp blade on both sides and will cut in a forward and backward motion. It makes weeding nearly effortless. It’s small head size allows you to fit it between rows to weed. Because it is a long handled hoe, there is no need to bend over, therefore saving your back. This is a must have tool for a larger scale garden.
Garden Rake
A metal garden rake is a long handled tool that ends in a flat head with metal tines. This is ideal for preparing and leveling garden beds, collecting material and softening up of the soil. If you turn the garden rake upside down, you can use the flat edge to level soil.
Pitch/Manure/Garden Fork
Although there are slight differences between the pitch fork, manure fork and the garden fork, they can all do relatively the same thing. They are good for turning over soil, removing sod, turning a compost pile and cleaning up the garden. For a minimal garden shed, you only need one of these to do the job. I recommend the garden fork.
Pruning Tools
Garden Scissors
It is helpful to have some garden scissors for harvesting produce like tomatoes, peppers, flowers, herbs, etc. Having a dedicated pair just for the garden will ensure they are there when you need them and won’t become dull from being used for other things.
Pruning Shears
Pruning shears are ideal for cutting small branches, leaves or stems. They help keep a garden looking tidy. Pruners can also be used to harvest in place of garden scissor as they are still small and easy to handle.
Loppers
Loppers are larger pruners with longer handles. They are best used for cutting thicker branches. Having a good pair of loppers is a must if you are growing larger bushes or trees.
Saw
A small hand saw is extremely helpful when growing fruit trees as they often need pruning attention. A hand saw will make quick work of larger branches.
Other Essential Tools
Wheelbarrow
The uses for a wheelbarrow are endless. From moving compost and mulch, to carting around equipment, plants and sometimes even little children, a wheelbarrow will really come in handy. Wheelbarrows come in different sizes. A smaller wheelbarrow would be more useful in a small garden plot and regular garden tasks. A large wheelbarrow is useful when moving large amounts of soil, compost or manure. Be sure to get the right size for the work your want done.
Weeding Bucket
Having a bucket around while you work in the garden is helpful for collecting and transporting weeds to the compost pile. It doesn’t need to be fancy bucket. Any old bucket will do the job.
Hose and Spray Nozzle or Watering Can
It’s great to have a hose with a spray nozzles. This is very helpful for watering your garden and will conserve lots of energy lugging water around. A watering can will require more leg work but can be helpful when watering just a few potted plants or seedlings still in their trays.
Sprayer
A garden sprayer is useful not just for applying chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers but also for applying organic natural sprays for pests, fungi and organic fertilizers.
Harvest Basket
A large harvest basket is great for collecting produce in the garden and bringing it into the house. This can be a basket made just for the purpose of harvesting or a large thrift store basket also works really well.
Compost Thermometer
A compost thermometer has a long stem that you put into your compost pile. It is not necessary for composting but it can be helpful. By measuring your pile frequently you will be able to learn what helps a compost pile work best.
My 6 Personal Favorite Gardening Tools
If I could only own 6 tools, these would be the ones I would chose.
- Hand Trowel
- Pruning Shears
- Dutch Weeder Hand Hoe
- Small Wheelbarrow
- Long Handled Shovel
- Hose and Sprayer