Garden Tool Buyer's Resource

If you have a lawn, you should definitely invest in some of good tools to take care of your turfgrass. Depending on the size of your lawn, you may not necessarily need a big power mower or a fertilizer spreader. A reel or an electric mower is a great solution if you have a small yard.

Mowers are mostly used for:

• Mowing the grass
• Cutting down weeds in your lawn

Many people with lawns choose to cut their grass with gas powered mowers. These mowers unfortunately belch out exhaust, make a lot of noise and require constant maintenance. Try out a reel mower or an electric mower for a quieter, more ecologically friendly mowing experience. With a reel mower, you won’t need to change the oil, change spark plugs, change the air filter, etc. etc.

Reel mowers and electric mowers are especially good options for those homeowners with small yards. Considering that a push reel mower takes roughly five percent more time to mow a lawn than a gas mower, it won’t make a big difference in the amount of time you spend mowing the grass. If you’ve got a big area to mow however, it probably makes sense to go with a gas powered mower.

Electric mowers come with or without cords. Cordless electric mowers can be heavier as they require a battery to carry the charge. However, this helps with the problem of getting the cord wrapped around trees, sprinklers, etc.

Uses:

• Pruning hard to reach branches and stems

Pole pruners usually include a typical anvil or bypass pruner to slice through branches or stems that are out of reach, plus a pruning saw. These tools are handy, but make sure you aren’t stretching too much to reach the branch. If you can barely reach where you want to cut, try using a ladder to get closer so that you can make a cleaner cut.

If you have trees and shrubs in your landscaping, you should consider purchasing some pruning tools.  These tools will help you to prune and shape your trees and shrubs.  For example, garden loppers are used for:

• Thinning out trees and shrubs
• Cutting thick branches
• Pruning

Loppers are basically designed like garden pruner, but with a larger diameter cutting blade to cut large branches, and a longer handle.  The longer handle will give you more leverage when cutting.  Many gardeners recommend bypass loppers over anvil loppers as they generally cut cleaner.

All most gardeners require for watering their plants and grass is a good quality hose. Five-ply garden hoses with brass fittings are best. With a hose, you can use a variety of attachments to water just about anything.

A garden hose reel will help you keep your hose tidy and kink-free.

To water plants and grass in a small yard, you don’t really need an expensive sprinkler system if you don’t already have one installed. For a small patch of grass, a hose with a sprinkler attachment will work fine. However, most homeowners with decent sized lawns like the convenience of a sprinkler system, so you should consider installing one if you don’t already have one.

Uses:

• Making compost and compost tea to add to your garden soil
• Recycling organic kitchen waste and garden debris
• Reducing the amount of waste you send to the municipal dump

You should consider your compost bin as one of the most important pieces of garden equipment your own. If you add your own compost to your garden soil, your plants will be healthier and more resistant to disease. This means you probably won’t need to use fertilizers, pesticides, etc. very often. Additionally, your soil will drain better. Thus, you’ll make better use of your water and prevent problems with root rot. Not to mention the fact that you’ll be sending less waste to the municipal dump.

There are dozens of models of compost bins on the market, including traditional compost bins, tumblers, compost cages, etc. In addition to a compost bin, you may want to consider buying a few composting accessories such as a compost turning tool and a compost thermometer.

These gardening tools will help you product higher quality compost. Learn all you need to know about composting and composting equipment at the Compost Guide.

Uses:

• Watering potted plants, planters, small garden plots, seedlings, houseplants, etc.

A high quality watering can will allow you to quickly and effectively water a variety of plants without hauling out the hose. Look for watering cans with a fine spray attachment so that you can gently water your plants without disrupting the plants or the soil.

Uses:

• Protecting your knees while working in the garden

A good quality set of gardening knee pads or a garden kneeler will make gardening while on your knees much more comfortable. If you use knee pads, make sure that they fit comfortably and won’t cut off the circulation in your legs.

Uses:

• Spacing plants, measuring garden rows, etc.

Equip your tool shed with some kind of measuring tool so that you can properly space your plants and garden rows.  This will help avoid plant crowding, soil borne diseases, etc. 

Uses:

• Garden and yard cleanup
• Spreading compost, mulch, etc.
• Smoothing out garden soil

An all purpose garden and yard rake is an essential tool for basic yard and garden cleanup. You can also purchase a bow rake with thick, heavy tines. Bow rakes are better for working the soil and preparing garden beds for planting. Also consider adding a handheld rake to your collection.

A handheld rake will let you work around plants without damaging them.

Uses:

• Weeding
• Breaking up soil
• Moving soil

Hoes are great tools for weeding and breaking up the soil. There are dozens of styles of hoes to choose from. The most common and useful hoe has a square-shaped head. There are also circle hoes(sometimes referred to as “hoola hoes”), that are specifically designed to remove weeds without disrupting the soil too much. Definitely have a long handled hoe in your collection. Also consider a handheld hoe for working the small places between your plants.

Uses:

*Weeding
*Digging
*Planting starter plants
*Transplanting

A good trowel is one of those must have tools in your garden tool collection. You’ll probably get more use out of your trowel than most other tools in your collection. There are a variety of trowels available, including ergonomic trowels that will save your wrist from any pain related to a long day of gardening. Most trowels come with measurements so that you can dig a certain depth for easy planting.

Uses:

• Loosening the soil
• Weeding
• Aerating garden soil

It’s a good idea to invest in both a long handled and short handled cultivator, as they both have their distinct uses. Long handled cultivators give you a little extra leverage when breaking up garden soil and weeding. When you want to work carefully around your plants to weed, etc., you should use a handheld garden cultivator.

Uses:

*Weeding
*Loosening the soil
*Cultivating the soil
*Mixing compost

Garden forks come in handheld and long handled versions. The short handled garden fork allows you to do fine detail work in the garden. The long handled forks are intended more for mixing soil and compost, spreading mulch, and cultivating the soil. Garden forks are usually available in stainless steel and carbon steel.

Uses:

• Pruning
• Taking flower cuttings
• Deadheading
• Long-handled shears for cutting grass and hedges

Garden shears are a good supplement to pruners. They are shaped like scissors and perform many of the same functions. Long-handled shears are good for detail work on your hedges and grass.

Uses:

• Deadheading flowers
• Pruning dead branches
• Pruning back shrubs, perennials, annuals, etc.

Along with a trowel, pruners are one of those indispensable tools for all gardeners. When you go to the garden supply store, you’ll typically see two kinds of pruners: anvil pruners and bypass pruners. Bypass pruners cut like scissors, with two sharp blades that close on the branch or stem.

Anvil pruners press the branch or stem against a flat surface, cutting with a single blade.

A pruner with a ½” diameter will allow you to prune most of your ornamental plants, veggies, vines, roses, etc.

Uses:

• Most basic gardening tasks

To quickly equip yourself for working in the garden, consider a tool set with three or four basic garden hand tools. These garden tool sets typically include a cultivator, a trowel, and a garden fork.

Uses:

• Protecting your hands while gardening

If you garden even just a few hours a week, you’ll want to invest in a pair of gardening gloves. They will help prevent blisters, splinters, chapping, chaffing, etc. If you work with roses, look with gardening gloves with long cuffs that will protect your wrists as well.

This section is a list of garden tools and accessories that will serve for most gardening and yard care tasks.  Depending on the kind of gardening you do, you may want to purchase just a few or all of the garden tools in this list.