12 Essential Garden Tools for Pros and Beginners

The list of garden tools used is seemingly limitless. Any attempt to purchase all such devices at once can be overwhelming, not only financially but also in terms of handling and storage. Things can be more difficult if you are a beginner.

If you are passionate about growing things and you desire to become an avid gardener, then you’d wish to know which garden tools are impossible to do without. Find out more about these 12 essential gardening tools for the beginner.

Do you want to start moe slowly? Here is ashortened list of the 5 most essential tools.

You might be wondering how we arrived at the list. We look at the versatility of the tool’s use, as in how many gardening applications it can handle. Additionally, we consider the nature of work you’ll be doing in your garden as a beginner. So, here is the list.

Read more about other mindful gardening practices here.

Garden Hoe

Gardening hoe tops the list as one of the most essential and versatile garden tools for a beginner. You need it for many things. Use it to for the initial digging of the land, removal of weeds, breaking up soil and before using the fork for deeper dig. You also need it to make small holes to plant seedlings.

The most frequent type of garden hoe is the one with a broad, straight, six-inch steel blade. This tool is ideal for forms of gardening, including digging, chopping, weeding, cultivating, and hilling. The broad edge may not be suitable for tight corners so you can look for a collinear hoe. It has elongated narrow blades that can fit into these tight spaces.

Garden Spade

It may be confusing to tell between a garden spade and a bladed shovel. By garden spade, we mean the short-handled, square-bladed spades. A shovel, on the other hand, is the long-handled, heart-shaped bladed gardening tool.

A garden spade is invaluable in getting straight edges on the garden beds, cutting open bags for potting soil, chopping back grass and loading well-decomposed compost manure into your ground. A shovel may also be ideal for scooping up compost and dirt as well as spreading manure or fertilizer.

Garden Fork

Two varieties of the fork are useful as garden tools – the sizeable digging fork and the smaller cottage fork. Size notwithstanding, the right quality garden fork will get deep into the soil. The large variety can penetrate the soil to a depth of at least 10 inches.

You can use either of these forks to turn over the sod before planting and turn over piles of compost. You can also use it to harvest potatoes without cutting through them. Besides, you can use a garden to separate large plants if you want to divide them.

Go for a fork forged from one-piece of steel featuring square tines fitted with diamond tips. This ensures strength and superior soil penetration ability.

Garden Rake

Two types or rakes are essential for gardening – a landscape or garden rake and lawn/leaf rake. The landscape rake will help you level soil when creating your new flower beds or vegetable garden. Use the leaf/ lawn rake to gather fallen leaves for making the leaf mold and for composting. It is also great for collecting lawn clips.

A leaf rake may not accomplish much because it is mostly made of a plastic head. However, it is not strange to find those with metallic tines. Most models will allow you to adjust the tension of the tines depending on the type of material you are handling.

A landscape rope is incredibly versatile. It will let you pull and push large materials without the tines bending. These types of rake mostly have metallic tunes that are easy to manipulate. Varieties with plastic tines are rigid and challenging to adjust.

Mini-Fork and Trowel

You may think a garden spade and fork will do the jobs meant for these garden tools. That’s true, but a mini-fork and trowel are incredibly convenient. They are compact and lightweight and therefore very easy to handle and use.

You can use a trowel to dig around the base of a plant if you do not want to disturb the root system. It is also handy in transplanting seedlings from the nursery to the seedbed. A spade is suitable for planting out hanging baskets or window boxes, rooting out weeds, repotting plants in containers and spreading limited amounts of fertilizer around individual plants.

A mini-fork is invaluable in cultivating small gardens or potted plants. It is also ideal for loosening the soil and eliminating stubborn weeds. Ensure both of these little tools have comfortable and firm-grip handles. They should be crafted with stainless steel or other strong and durable material.

Wheelbarrow or Cart

Your collection of essential garden tools includes a wheelbarrow or a cart, depending on your preference. This tool allows you to transport cuttings, manure, seedlings, and harvest to and from the garden. It is also handy in carrying other devices on a single file.

While plastic wheelbarrows exist, you’ll do well to avoid them. Since you’ll most likely use them in the sun, the heat will make the plastic brittle and crack in the end. Metal wheelbarrows or carts also melt overtime but will have served you for a good time. Ensure it is well balanced with comfortable handles.

Secateurs and Pruning Shears

All plants do well when they are frequently pruned. They will also look presentable and give your garden a picturesque appeal. Secateurs or pruning shears are great for pruning shrubs, fruit trees, herbs, and roses, among others. You cannot go around asking your gardening neighbors for this tool because they will give it to you unwillingly.

Invest in proper quality secateurs or shears if you want to become an avid gardener. Handles must be comfortable with a tight grip to prevent slipping due to wetness. Its blades must be strong and sharp with the ability to open and close quickly. Also, ensure the locking mechanism is easy to operate.

Watering Can

Plants need an adequate amount of water to survive and to produce optimally. This explains why a watering can is essential, especially if you have an indoor garden or potted plants. It is also vital if you do not have a reliable water supply.

Watering cans are made from simple, cheap plastic or high-end, expensive galvanized metal. The choice is yours to make. These tools are available in various sizes, so you choose what fits your needs. Most come with removable sprinkler heads. Choose screwed on heads instead of clip-on ones for stability and durability.

Watering Hose

While you can water with a watering can or a bucket, but you can save a lot of time and energy using a watering hose. You can go ahead and set up an irrigation system or even get soaker hoses, but a simple garden hose will do an excellent job and a fraction of the cost.

The best garden hose should be made of rubber and not vinyl. Rubber will not cut off the water supply due to kinking as is familiar with vinyl counterparts. Ensure the pipe is not too short of reaching your garden. If possible, the hose should be able to reach all parts of the garden even if such gardens on either side of your house.

A Pair of Gloves

Starting your favorite garden can be an enjoyable hobby that is rewarding and satisfying. However, it can quickly turn into a nightmare as thorns and splints wreck havoc on your hands. This underscores the importance of a high-quality pair of gloves.

Gloves used for gardening need to be durable and lightweight to make it easy to use, especially with fragile seedlings. The pair should fit your hands firmly but comfortable to avoid slipping. Poorly fitting pairs may also cause blisters to form in your hands.

The fabric used should be breathable and water resistant to ensure your hands are comfortable and relaxed. Gloves with more extended cuffs will prevent soil from getting in and protect your forearms and wrists. High-quality rubber gloves are ideal for this purpose.

A Sprayer

Weeds chock plants and pests and diseases will kill them and reduce their productivity. This is why you need a sprayer to help you deal with the weeds and infections that may interfere with the growth of your garden plants.

You can go for a 1-gallon or 5-ltr sprayer. But you can also buy a tow behind sprayer which is a large capacity (10 to 60 gallons). Choose according to your needs.

Axe or a Hatchet

Perhaps you have moved to a new home that has just been built, or you want to begin a garden on virgin ground. Chances are you will encounter large tree roots, shrubs, and large logs to deal with. You will need to remove them before digging up. The best gardening tool for this is an axe or a hatchet.

Use cutting tools made of sturdy and durable materials to prevent them from breaking during work. Both a hatchet and an exe perform the same tasks, but one or the other may be appropriate for particular situations. Make a wise choice.

Wrapping It Up

Investing in these essential gardening tools for the beginner can put you well on the road to success. Your shed or store will contain the essential things you need for comfortable gardening work. Some forms of gardening (such as hydroponics) may require specialized tools that we have not included here because they are not common. Carry out further research to base your choice on the type of gardening you desire to start.

Author Bio,

Hi There! I’m Angela Williams from OutdoorGardenCare. I love gardening. Specifically, I have dedicated my time and effort to researching better ways to grow successful gardens.