Throughout my few years of gardening I have found some tools that have made my gardening life much better.
None of them are very expensive but they definitely add to the experience value of gardening.
- Tomato cages
- Sprayers
- Forks
- Gloves
- Seed trays
- Garden shears
Tomato cages
Tomato cages, I’ve bought a bunch of different types. The round cone ones, a stick in the ground with some string and I’ve even built my own(That was the worst of them all).
The best tomato cage that I’ve found is this square one(Check price on Amazon). It opens up on the corner which is a total game changer for me. You can shape it however you want. So it not only works great for putting around a larger plant that still needs support.
But you can also use it as a trellis for other vining plants.
I’m all about multipurpose things.
I’ve found that this design works better on tomatoes allowing more airflow because the bottom branches don’t get forced upward at a steep angle, like they do with the cone shaped supports.
Sprayers
Spray bottles are also super helpful in the garden. You can use them to spray foliar fertilizers or pesticides. You can get super cheap spray bottles from the dollar store normally, which work just fine.
but if you have a larger garden your hand is gonna get a workout. And you may have to fill the bottle a few times. For my garden, which is two 8’x4’ raised beds. I’ve found this pump hand sprayer(check price on Amazon) to be just fine.It makes life a little bit easier compared to a squeeze spray bottle for just a few more dollars. The pump hand sprayers usually hold around 48 ounces, but if you need to make larger batches at a time you can get sprayers that are 2 gallons
Forks
No not the eating forks, all though those are useful after your plants have made you some food!
A spading fork(check price on Amazon), or garden fork is kind of like a pitchfork but smaller with the pointy end being designed a little different. Stalkier, The points are not as curved.
It’s great for mixing compost and turning new soil by hand. It does a way better job than a shovel could do.It’s design makes it perfect for aerating soil. It also does a pretty good job at spreading all sorts of mulch around, things like leaves, hay and unfinished compost.
If you are planting in a larger space,and don’t have a tiller, you can use a broad fork(check price on Amazon). It’s basically a bigger spading fork with two handles. you use your feet to shove this thing into the ground and it turns up larger quantities of soil at a time.
Gloves
I really like the cheap knit gloves with the palms dipped in nitrile. I like them better than leather gloves with fancy designs for a few reasons. The first being comfort. My hands always get super sweaty in the leather ones and I can’t work as easily with the bulkiness of the leather gloves. Leather gloves probably give you added protection compared to the knit gloves I’m recommending but honestly I haven’t had any issues with protection. My hands are never messed up after gardening. I’m also a fan of the extra grip the palms give you.
Seed trays
You can get peat pots, or plastic seed starting kits(Check price on Amazon). The peat pots are nice because you can plant the whole thing right into the ground. You don’t have to worry about messing with the roots or anything. But I prefer the plastic ones actually. I like that they sit in a nice tray with a plastic cover. It’s the perfect environment for seed sprouting. The plastic covers work really well at retaining moisture. And I’ve never really had a big issue with getting the little seedlings out of their tiny home. The plastic is really easy to work with and plus the are reusable. If you want to get creative and save a few bucks you can try to build a seed starter out of old egg cartons like this one here.
I tried it, but I found that the seedlings dried out super fast and by the time I got back from work you could tell that the dirt had been dry for a while.
Garden shears
A good pair of shears will be a few things. Comfortable to grip, sharp and durable.
You can get a cheap pair like I have pictured above but they rust super easily, and don’t stay sharp for long. This makes cutting tender vegetable branches a pain. You mush the plant more than getting a clean cut.A better pair doesn’t do this.
The Gonicc 8” shears(check price on Amazon) meet all of these requirements while also being reasonably priced. The Felco brand is also another highly rated gardening shear but they are a bit more pricey. The Gonicc’s can cut branches up to ¾” diameter so they are handy if you have small citrus trees that you are working with as well. Gonicc also has fantastic customer service, if anything goes wrong they will usually just give you a free pair.
A good hat!
I’m a fan of a good hat to keep the sun off of you! A nice big one that makes you feel like a real farmer.