Types Of Gardening Tools And Their Uses

Gardening is a fun activity for those who like to connect with nature and spend their free time outside.

Having the proper tools is advantageous in many ways, key among them is finishing the "dirty work" in record time and even being of great benefit to your garden.

As a newbie gardener, it is not very easy to determine which tools you need. One major problem is determining which are the most essential to have.

Even budding gardeners who don't have the right tools face some unnecessary challenges that can be fixed with the tools in this list.

Basically, you'll need to dig, plant, weed, maintain, prune, harvest and cut branches in your garden.

Gardening tools and utensils on the grass

Nevertheless, some gardens need specialized instruments, so you might need to go above and beyond this selection featured here.

The tools featured here are not unnecessary types, which sit in the corner of your garden shed gathering dust. In this list, we've rounded up the must-have gardening tools you'll use on a recurring basis and what they do.

1. Wheelbarrow

Wheelbarrow in garden with flowers — Perfect for carrying plants and debris

A wheelbarrow lessens the effort you need to move heavy and sometimes awkward garden materials.

Use the wheelbarrow to haul massive plants, soil, bricks, trimmed branches, weeds, pots, rocks and fallen leaves if you're cultivating a large garden.

An alternative to a wheelbarrow could be a garden cart if you have near ground level terrain to work on. Get a wheelbarrow that's robust and light enough to move around when you lump things on it, including garden tools and equipment. To know further details, you can visit this website.

2. Spade

Digging, lifting and shifting soil is an indispensable process to gardening and a spade or shovel is a must-have for this.

It's also an essential tool for transplanting, trenching, working with compost or fertilizer, mulching, dividing shrubs, edging beds, digging, turning, moving soil and a lot more!

A high-quality spade will be of great value to you. If possible, get a stainless steel type of spade, which hardly rusts, stays smooth and dirt doesn't tend to stick to the blade like the cheaper alternatives.

It's also a great companion to your wheelbarrow as you dump loads in and out of it using the spade.

3. Dibber

You'll need to make holes to plant seeds, seedlings and bulbs. A dibber will make this process easy.

Preferably, select one with calibrated rings, showing how deep the hole you are making is.

4. Garden Trowel

Garden trowels and hand forks are some of the most used hand tools for gardening. It would be best if you had such hand tools to scoop, loosen and move soil.

It is also necessary for digging holes for planting and potting seeds or bulbs. Garden trowels act as shovels, only on a smaller scale; such as when using it to dig out deep rooted plants.

To avoid hand fatigue, choose one with a comfortable handle, sturdily connected to the blade, ensuring it doesn't become loose repeatedly.

5. Fork Hoe

You'll need to do some digging on your garden from time to time. For that, choose a digging fork that breaks up soil fast with little effort.

A fork hoe can also be used to break compacted soil, aerate lawns, and remove stones. The sharp, flat and thick tines make it easier to break down the soil a hoe or a spade cannot.

6. Garden hoe

A garden hoe is an essential tool for any gardener, more so if breaking new ground, since it can loosen up the soil more naturally than a fork hoe.

It's also necessary for edging your lawn, weeding without the need to bend, cultivating your land, preparing beds for planting, and many other tasks.

7. Garden Gloves

Thorns and splinters are a regular feature in your garden. There's no need for them to wreak havoc on your hands when there are gloves.

Garden gloves and secateurs — Garden gloves with secateurs for working in the garden

On the market, you can find almost any glove you might think of. However, most are designed to protect your hands from splinters, scrapes and scratches, as well as keep them comfortable.

8. Rake

Rakes come in various shapes and sizes. For example, a lightweight, fan-shaped rake is ideal for collecting debris on a large area fast, while a heavy-duty type is preferential when dealing with rocky ground.

Still, the most preferable for a newbie farmer is a bow rake. This type can interchange the roles of many rakes. A good rake should help you spread mulch, smooth the surface of the soil, break its clumps and level loose ground as well.

9. Watering can or gardening hose

Your plants need water to live and be healthy, so you need to find a way to get this essential commodity to them.

If the plants are few or potted, then you might get away with a bottle, watering can or other devices such as self-watering containers.

A great alternative is a garden hose, which you can use to cover a large area. A garden hose is versatile as well and why not use it for general cleaning purposes, too.

Choose a garden hose outfitted with a spray nozzle to avoid wasting water and be able to control its pressure.

10. Garden Secateurs

Your garden needs regular maintenance, and pruning is a big part of it. Some refer to garden secateurs as pruning shears, pruners or clippers, and they function much like scissors or knives.

Garden secateurs will make the work of cutting stems, twines, strings, trimming small branches, shaping plants/shrubs, removing dead growth and many other jobs much easier.

Worthwhile pruners should last a very long time, stay sharper for longer, and be able to cut through thick branches. If secateurs don't cut it, then a saw should do it.

Conclusion

Just outside this list are other tools that deserve an honourable mention.

Some other must-have gardening tools could be a pair of scissors, saw, watering can, loppers, lawnmower and a shed to house all your tools safely away from the elements.

Gardening tools help you carry out your work efficiently, saving you precious time and energy. Therefore, invest in quality equipment that doesn't break or bend unnecessarily, is easy to handle, and comfortable for you.