21 of my Favorite Garden Tools
If you have a small garden like I do or want to start a garden then please check out the products below. They are what I use most frequently in my own garden and I love them!
I like to promote products that are useful, a great price, and will last you a long time. I am an obsessive researcher so I feel like I do a good job of picking out the right products.
If you have some favorite gardening tools that I haven’t listed, please post them in the comments so we can all help each other out! If popular enough I will consider adding them to this list!
21. Gardening Journal
I feel it is very important to use a gardening journal. I’ll confess that when I first started gardening I thought I would remember what plants I planted each year, how many, what did well and didn’t work out, etc. But I was wrong!
You definitely do not have to buy an official gardening journal. A blank notebook, a Word document, or Excel are all perfect options.
However if you are looking for something more structured and guided, I absolutely love this gardening journal from Amazon. It has very helpful articles and information while guiding you week to week on what you should be doing in your garden based on your frost dates.
However if you are looking for something more structured and guided, I absolutely love this gardening journal from Amazon. It has very helpful articles and information while guiding you week to week on what you should be doing in your garden based on your frost dates.
20. Earthwise GS70015 15-Amp Garden Corded Electric Chipper/Shredder, Collection Bin (Amazon Link)
The Earthwise GS70015 Electric Chipper/Shredder is our top choice based on our research and looking through user feedback. This has a standard 15 amp motor which should give plenty of power for what this tool is designed for.
We also like the fact that it has a nice collection bin underneath the tool. This eliminates the need for a bag or raking up the mulch afterward.
19. Sun Joe CJ602E 15-Amp Electric Wood Chipper/Shredder (Amazon Link)
The Sun Joe CJ602E Electric Wood Chipper/Shredder is our second best choice. This tool also has the same standard 15 amp motor which should plow through most leaves, twigs, and other small garden waste.
This shredder is cheaper than our top option but it also does not have a bag or collection bin, so keep that in mind when deciding what to purchase based on your needs.
18. Soil Moisture and pH Meter
If you’re wondering if your soil has the right amount of moisture and you don’t want to rely on your fingers or an eye test, you can get a soil moisture meter. I was skeptical if these things work or not but I was curious enough to get one to try it out. It does seem to give an accurate reading in my tests. It also is a quick way to measure the pH of your soil without doing a soil test.
17. Fiskars Pruning Shears
First off, let me just say that I love Fiskars products. They are well priced, durable, and have a lifetime warranty!
These pruning shears are great for cutting and pruning thicker type branches from your plants such as tomato stems, mature kale and lettuce stems at their thicker base, bushes, shrubs, etc.
I really have no complaints
16. Fiskars Micro-Tip Pruner
Here is another great Fiskars product similar to the one above with a lifetime warranty! These are more like scissors and I use these a lot for more delicate cuts such as trimming tomato leaves and suckers, harvesting leafy greens, peas, beans, etc. These can be a little more precise and get into smaller spaces than the larger pruners above.
You can find these micro-tip pruners here.
15. Fiskars Leaf Rake
Yep, another Fiskars product with a lifetime warranty! I just love finding products that have great reviews and I know I’ll use forever because of the lifetime warranty!
At the time of writing this, I actually just received this rake for Christmas as a gift that was on my Amazon wish list. So I haven’t used it quite yet but I’m confident it will be great.
I use leaf rakes like this mostly for help with composting activities. To create compost, I collect a TON of leaves and pile them up into my compost bins, so a rake like this is really handy for that situation. I also turn my compost when it cools down, which involves removing the material from the pile and then putting it back, so I continuously have to use a rake to gather it all together. The final situation I use a rake like this for in the garden is to help spread out the compost on top of my garden beds in the fall.
If your current rake is broken like mine was or you don’t have one, I would definitely suggest you check out this one here!
14. Garden Fork
A garden fork is useful for turning compost piles, collecting and moving debris, and aerating your soil. I seriously use this all the time! This brand is Truper and does have a lifetime warranty. You can find this garden fork here.
If you want to stick with the Fiskars trend, they also have a garden fork that you can find here. The only reason I don’t have this one is because I received the Truper garden fork as a gift and have no reason to switch to Fiskars. I’m sure they are both equally great tools!
13. Reusable Zip Ties
This is a little secret I somehow discovered on my own a few years ago. Reusable zip ties in the garden! I have been using them a lot and love it! They are very versatile, strong, and I can reuse them each year.
I currently have been using these ties to stabilize branches to stakes/trellises. It has worked great for plants such as cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and peas. If the plant gets too big the zip ties can always be adjusted or removed!
I also used these to build my compost bin out of pallets. I didn’t want to mess with nails, screws, brackets, etc so I just connected these zip ties together to tie up the pallets. It also allows me to create a removed “door” for my bin where I can just unzip the ties when I need to turn or remove the compost and zip them back together when done. I love it!
Here is a nice pack of reusable zip ties that have different lengths.
12. Elastic Rope
Another cool option for tying up plants is elastic rope. This was suggested by Luke at MIGardener. I have not tried this yet but I do plan on buying some for this growing season! Due to it being nice and stretchy, it is very plant friendly because it doesn’t suffocate/squeeze the plant stem too much as it grows. You may or may not be able to reuse the same pieces each year.
If you’re interested in trying this nylon rope you can find it here!
11. Wheelbarrows
One thing I tried to avoid purchasing for a long time was a wheelbarrow. I’m very frugal and didn’t want to spend the money. I’m also limited on space and I know how large and bulky they can be! However, we got very lucky and found a standard wheelbarrow that someone was selling on Facebook. Ever since I don’t know what I ever did without one! I use it all the time in the garden for hauling mulch, supplies, plants, compost, organic material, etc. I would have definitely paid full price for a new one if I knew how much I would use it!
I have a standard one wheel wheelbarrow, however if I had to buy a new one or suggest one to you I have a few options. The first is this Smart Garden wheelbarrow/cart. It has great reviews and people seem to really like it for small jobs around the garden.
A larger option is this Gorilla Cart. This looks very versatile as it can be used as a cart and also a wheelbarrow because you can adjust the wheels for dumping. If you have larger amounts of to load up such as wood, dug up plants for transplanting, etc, this may be the better option for you. It has great reviews too!
Another very nice accessory that I have with my own wheelbarrow is this wheelbarrow holder that you can attach to the wall of your garage or shed. This has definitely saved me space in my own garage and it is easy to take the wheelbarrow on and off the wall as long as you are strong enough to lift your wheelbarrow on your own.
10. Garden Gloves
I use garden gloves so much that I normally need a new pair about every year. If you’ve been unhappy with your current gloves or just want to try something new, I would suggest you try these gloves here. The good thing about these is you get 2 pairs for a good price!
Here are a few more varieties below. One is for kids another protects your forearms as well! There are plenty of great options out there that should fit your needs.
9. Garden Hose Nozzles
Have you ever been frustrated with your garden hose nozzle? I have had many struggles in the past with nozzles breaking or failing on me. Finally a few years ago and I started using this Melnor 7 Pattern Hose Nozzle. This is a good price and has a limited lifetime warranty which is the top reason I bought this product!
To be honest, after a few years of use the nozzle started leaking in multiple different places. I used their customer service and very easily got a brand new nozzle sent to me for no cost! With this lifetime warranty I shouldn’t have to worry about buying another nozzle like this again!
While the above hose has a variety of uses around the garden other than just watering your plants, you may want to consider a different attachment that is specifically designed for gentle watering. This Dramm Water Break Nozzle has over 1000 holes to slow down and break up the flow of water. This provides
If you decide to use a nozzle like that, you may want to purchase an on/off valve that you can at the end of your hose. That way you don’t have to waste water by having to turn on/off the water at the main spigot spot that your hose is attached to. You can get a two pack of these valves here.
8. Expandable Garden Hose
A few years ago I started getting tired of my heavy garden hose. I was frustrated every time I had to unwind the hole thing and then wind it back up when I was finished. This was a traditional style garden hose that was heavy and was prone to kinking.
I had heard about the garden hoses that expand when filled with water and collapse to a much smaller size when the water is let out and depressurized. I was very skeptical but decided to try one out. After two years of use, I have been pleasantly surprised! This hose is a breeze to get out and put away. When you shut off the water and let all the water out, the hose shrinks up to a very manageable size. It is also very lightweight and so far has been durable for me with no links or damage!
You can try out one of these expandable hoses here! I would recommend the large
7. Water Hose Rack
When I was getting tired of my hose situation as described above, I also decided to try a new way to store my hoses by my house. I bought two of these racks and installed them on the front and back sides of my houses where I have water spigots. I love it and works great! No more winding and unwinding hoses! While it works great for standard type hoses that I have tested it with, it works even easier with the expandable hose listed above!
I have been very pleased with this product and you can find it here if you would like to try it out!
6. Watering Can
I am actually in need of a new watering can for next season and I’m planning on buying this 3.2 Gallon Watering Can. I love having a large capacity watering can because it means
5. Fiskars Garden Trowel
Everyone needs a garden trowel for basic gardening tasks such as loosening up your soil, light digging, and transplanting young plants. Once again I like to use Fiskars products due to their lifetime warranty so you can find one of their nice trowels here.
If you want to spend a few bucks more, you could get two trowels and a handy garden fork here.
4. Smart Pot Fabric Containers
Some of you may not have the luxury of having enough space for a full garden bed. Container gardening can work great for those of you who are low on space or land. It’s also great when you want to control the amount of sun/shade your plants get because you can move the containers around.
Smart Pot fabric containers are very popular and come in all different sizes. You can plant anything in these such as leafy greens, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, etc. These types of containers help our soil to stay cooler in hot weather, drain easily, and are reusable! Check out the different sizes below.
- Smart Pot 2 Gallon, 5 Pack
- Smart Pot 3 Gallon, 5 Pack
- Smart Pot 5 Gallon, 5 Pack
- Smart Pot 15 Gallon, 5 Pack, Single
3. Vertical Garden Tower
Another very popular way to save space and grow a lot of food is to grow vertically in containers with a garden tower! I have never tried these myself but I follow a lot of blogs and YouTube channels that praise these garden towers as an excellent way to grow plants and save space, both indoors and outdoors.
You can check out this vertical garden tower here.
2. Raised Garden Beds
While I do recommend trying to build your own garden beds and save some money, that may not be everyone’s preference. If you want a very quick and easy way to build raised garden beds you can buy all the materials from here. These beds don’t require power tools or skill because the boards slide right into the posts. It is also very versatile because you can buy multiple of these and stack them as high as you want or in any pattern that you want. The options are endless!
1. Shade Cloth
If you live in a very hot climate, you may be interested in some shade cloth for your plants to keep them cooler, especially your leafy greens. Shade cloth isn’t just for plants though, you could use it for dogs, chickens, or even children to keep them out of the hot sun.
Shade cloth comes in all different sizes for your needs and can be found here!
