Gardening Tools

For Digging
1. Fork

*Aside from a hand trowel is a small fork to break clumps in soil, harvest
root crops, or break the firm surface of the soil. It’s called digging fork.

Digging Tools

Fork
Aside from a hand trowel is a small fork to break clumps in soil, harvest root
crops, or break the firm surface of the soil. It’s called digging fork.

This tool should be well fitted to your palm while featuring a sturdy, firm, and
reasonably wide blade. Prefer slightly heavier digging fork would be helpful in
breaking soil clumps effortlessly.

Another type is compost fork.

It is a bit larger in dimensions compared to the previous sibling, which is used for
moving straw, manure, mulches, composts and other organic manure in your
garden. In contrast to the digging fork, this type should be light-weighted to
easily lift and throw stuff.

Spade
Together with trowel and digging fork, a high-quality spade is the best workhorse
in your garden.

It is good at moving tiny mounds of dirt from here to there, digging holes for
flowers and plants, lifting sod, and edging. Whether it’s small or large garden,
having this tool in your arsenal is a must.

Though compared to gardening forks and trowels, this is a little bit pricier, it can
last a lifetime if you know how to opt for a high-quality one.

Short-handled square shovels are the most ergonomic shape to choose. It would
be better if the head is stainless steel and there are treads on top of the blade.

Shovel
 If you’re gardening in a raised bed or backyard, a shovel is a practical hand tool
for digging, lifting, and shifting sand, soil, gravel, coal, and snow.

Many gardeners also use it for mixing compost piles, potting soil, or transferring
soil and dirt from/to a wheelbarrow with no needs to dump the whole load.

Related:
 6 Best Shovels For Metal Detecting of 2022

Two things to consider when selecting a gardening shovel are:

 Handle: As it’s now a long-handed design, weight contribution is paramount.

 Blade: There are three different shapes of shovel blade – the flat straight edge,
the curved shovel, and the round one.
While most people just go for a traditional round-edged shovel, it has some
limitations, especially in edging work. That’s why you should consider adding a
flat straight edge shovel or a curved one.

Watering Tools

Water Sprinkler

Also known as an irrigation sprinkler – a gardening tool used for cooling,

irrigating plants, lawn, and landscapes, or controlling the airborne dust.
 It is particularly useful on raised gardening beds where there is no sufficient
water available. There is a wide range of sizes to opt for:

 Portable sprinklers
 Underground sprinkler systems
 Drip sprinklers
 Oscillating sprinklers
 Impact sprinklers
The permanent installation of water sprinklers usually goes with a timer so that it
will automatically turn on during a set time and day per week.

Watering Can
Metal and plastic are two basic types of a watering can.

Metal cans with galvanized finish can efficiently resist rusting while high-quality
hard plastic cans are praised for lighter weight.

Two other things to consider when choosing a watering can are:

 Size: It should be a small, long-necked watering can for indoor garden and a
larger one with sprinkler head for outdoors.
 Handle: 2 handles give better stability, especially when tipping it to pour the
water

Hose

It’s better to go for a longer hose (so that you can reach other ends of your
garden) rather than a shorter.

When choosing, focus on its diameter. There are three common size options:
 ¾ inches = 25 gallons/minute
 5/8 inches = 15 gallons/minute
 ½ inches = 9 gallons/minute
It would be better to opt for a garden hose with an adjustable nozzle as it puts
you in control of the spray radius and water pressure.

Cutting Tools

Gardening Knife
This hand tool is of Japanese origin, called Hori Hori garden knife, that any
beginners should have.

It can trim and cut on different materials, such as strings, vegetable plants, and
fruits. Furthermore, it can act as a measuring device for planting bulbs, a weeder,
a perfect hand trowel alternative, or digging equipment saw.

It, in short, can handle all gardening asks involving cutting and digging. However,
parents should keep this tool out of reach of small kids as its both sharp ends
might accidentally hurt them.

Pruning Shears

Or garden secateurs.

They are suitable for gardens requiring constant maintenance, like trimming the
long grass in lawns or reining in plants that are out of control and take over.

Two types: bypass pruners and anvil pruners. The bypass style is excellent for
green wood and live plants while the other is for dead wood.
For people suffering arthritis or with reduced hand strength, ratcheting pruners
would be the best bet.

Pruning Saw

For bigger branches on trees, a pruning saw – with more cutting power – is useful
to give you better control to cut on pull stroke.

The saw should be constructed with a sharp blade, grippy handle, and stability in
use.
Planting Tools

Dibbers
 To plant small bulbs, seeds, and seedlings, you might need a dibber. They help
poke holes in the soil more quickly and precisely but take note that this tool is
just workable on light soils.

If you push dibbers into heavy soils, the soil surrounding that hole will be too
compacted for plants to root.

Dibbers are categorized - based on their widths - into three common groups:

 D-handles
 T-handles
 Straight handles
While the thicker units are suitable for smaller bulbs and bigger seedlings, the
thinner is perfect for small seedlings and seeds.

Trowel
 A good hand trowel comes in handy in a lot of work, such as:

 Planting containers
 Transplanting bedding herbs and plants
 Digging out weeds on the garden plots
 Digging out areas for flowers or plants
 After you’re finished, it helps to refill the holes
The blade width is something you should take into consideration. It has multiple
size options for specific needs. For example, a narrow blade is for rocky soil or
digging up weeds while a broader one is to move more soil in or out a container.
Materials and handle design are two other things to consider. In short, your hand
trowel should be comfortable in hand-feel and durable to last as long as possible.

Cultivating Tools

Rake

When dried leaves fall and debris is built up over months, you might need
something to whisk them away. That’s when a rake comes into place.
Like other gardening tools, this provides a wide range of sizes and shapes for
different purposes of use. But in short, you’ll need a small handle rake for
container gardening while a longer one is best for lawn.

If you don’t know which to start with yet, a standard leaf rake is the safest choice
ever.

Aside from raking up all the leaves and debris, a rake is also used for removing
pebbles to level the ground.

You should opt for a rake with a reasonably long, grippy handle to ensure it is
comfy to use. And with the bristles, choose either a plastic material or soft flexible
metal as they’re tough enough to rake the whole surface but not overly to get
away all soil.

Others

Gardening Gloves & Boots

A right pair of gardening gloves make you free from splintery and thorny hassle
while keeping your hands always clean and dry.

Gloves should give a good fit to avoid slipping off and be not as bulky as you’ll
working regularly with seeds or transplanting seedlings.

Prefer using of gardening gloves which is crafted from durable, water-resistant

yet breathable material to keep hands comfy and cool.

To save you from falling or stripping in the garden, choose boots with heavy
soles to help you press the shovel or spade better when digging the soil. They
should be water-resistant, high-ankle, and breathable as well.

Knee Pads
Lots of male gardeners deny using knee pads, assuming they are too girly for
men.

But don’t you know that kneeling down to work gardening will take its toll on
your kneecaps from time to time? It is not purely about aesthetics but also the
pain on your knees.

If you’re suffering arthritis or simply can’t stand that pain any longer, equip
yourself with a good pair of knee pads. Or at least, parents should prepare these
for their children before gardening.
 A good pair of knee pads should be protective against rocky terrains and scrapes
while delivering comfort to the user. Durable foam padding and soft gel core are
two noteworthy features to keep in mind when looking for this item.

Wheel Barrow

Perfect for outdoor garden when you need to move something heavy from here
to there with less effort.

It comes in two basic types of material – plastic and metal like watering cans.
Besides, there are three styles:

 Single-handed wheelbarrows: Can conveniently pull or push it by one hand

 Single-handed two-wheel: Keep balance well to pull over uneven terrains with
ease. Ideal for people with limited strength
 Traditional dual-handle, single-wheel: The cheapest and only recommended for
strong guys

Compost Bin

Composting is quite popular nowadays to limit the amount of greenhouse

methane and carbon dioxide released in comparison to landfill. It’s also a good
“food” source for trees, flowers, and plants due to the rich nutrients.

And a compost bin will make or break the result of your composting.
 There are three different types of compost bins to choose from:

 Indoor composters: For people who grow an indoor garden and don’t have
outdoor space
 Batch composters: Suit for gardeners who want to speed up the composting
process
 Continuous composters: Best for people who want to take advantage of garden
weeds, kitchen scraps, and other organic waste to make compost.

Power Tools

Leaf Blower
This power tool provides a world of benefits to gardeners, especially during
autumn.

It works as a rake – getting rid dry leaves off your garden – but in double shorter
amount of time. Furthermore, it can gather effortlessly and quickly a big mess of
leaves into manageable piles.

Aside from blowing, some models even can vacuum leaves, spray trees, and clean
gutters, dependent on your extra needs.
 Though 90% of leaf blowers are designed to be lightweight and packable, it’s
important to consider the right type for you. There are three on the market:

 Walk-behind leaf blower

 Backpack leaf blower
 Handheld leaf blower
Besides, be wise to choose between blowing power and sound volume. As the
more powerful the machine, the noisier – your neighbors might be not happy
about that.

Lawn Mower

Lawn mower is a convenient tool that helps you to cut down grass and take care
of your lawn within the shortest time possible. It’s the best choice for big gardens
and backyards with little to none obstacles as well as people with certain physical
limitations.

When you’re into the market for a new lawn mower, look for the right type which
can meet nicely your needs, budget, and mowing style.

String Trimmer

In case of a garden with too many tight spots and obstacles, a string
trimmer would be a better choice.

It is built for the ridding of grass and weeds with more precise trimming on many
awkward spots, such as around trees, fences, sidewalks, and driveways.
Depending on the user’s skills, it can make a backyard from look neat to well-
manicured. A string trimmer with a rotating head, on the other hand, is able to
work as an edger.

To pick the right one for you, pay attention to its power and runtime. A unit that
is drained out too quickly before you even can trim a thing should be a no-no.
Same with an underpowered product.

You should also check if it provides various settings. This addition offers
customizable adjustment to let you work on different tasks with good control and
ease.

Pole Saw
Pole saws feature the same functions as the pruning saw but in this case, it’s for
high vine and branch that you can’t reach from the ground.

Of course, you can use a ladder but if it’s seemingly risky and unsafe (while
calling in a professional is so costly), why not invest on a good pole saw?

This gardening tool is commonly powered by either electricity or gas to work on

heavy pruning of thicker branches.

While the electric pole saws are best for small-sized gardens with small trees, the
gas-powered models prevail for more operating power to work on heavier
pruning of medium to large branches.

There are also manual pole saws with an emphasis on lightness, longer reach, and
low maintenance but with them, you will have to spend more effort than the
other two.

Chainsaw
Aside from pole saws, there are chainsaws to help you cut small to large branches
within your reach from the ground.

Compared to a pruning saw, this is significantly more powerful to finish all wood
cutting tasks in much shorter time. This is a tool for people who want to save
more time and effort on gardening jobs.

Chainsaws are powered mostly by gas or electricity.

Opt for the gas if you want a more powerful product with superior stability to cut
medium to large branches. Conversely, an electric unit will be more lightweight,
eco-friendly, minimal maintenance, and affordable to suit for budget-minded
gardeners on smaller cutting tasks.
Hedge Trimmers

Some guys prefer to use a power tool to trim their hedges rather than a manual
tool. For them, a hedge trimmer is a great companion.

It is powered by either gasoline or electricity and categorized into two groups –

the single-sided and the double-sided. To determine which is the right for you,
think about the gardening tasks you want it to do.

For example, if you want to shape the hedge, a double-sided hedge trimmer is
ideal. For cutting straight sections of hedge, choose the other.
A good hedge trimmer should also be lightweight and comfortable so that you
don’t feel fatigue to struggling to hold it for duration of trimming the hedge.
Besides, it must be well-balanced.

Tiller

Last but not least, is a tiller.

It’s used for preparing the soil for planting or cultivating. In detail, the tool will
break up the soil, mulch organic compost and blend them with fertilizer.

Although there are still manual tillers for small gardens, most people choose to
use a motorized one to save more time and effort.
2. Spade