When gardening for the first time, you will need the following basic tools to kickstart a lifelong hobby.
- Gardenwear Gloves
The Gardenware line of gloves are great for farm, ranch, or lawn and garden use. Made with lightweight 18-gauge nylon and spandex seamless knit liner. These gloves provide a great grip whether they are wet or dry. Purchase online for curbside pickup.
2. Pruning Shears
Hand pruners, also called secateurs, help reign in plants that are getting out of control and taking over. Use Bypass Pruning Shears to make short work of limbs and branches up to 1 inch in diameter.
3. Trowel
It is good for digging and planting. The sharp-bladed edge can be used to cut up roots that are in the way when you use it to dig a hole for a plant. With a lifetime guarantee, like the one below, the tempered steelhead will not bend or curl. After usage wipe it clean with a damp soft cloth.
4. Spade
When digging requires something bigger than a trowel but smaller than a shovel, a garden spade is just right. Used mainly in digging holes for tree, shrub or large flower planting, it also helps in shoveling soil, compost and organic fertilizer out of a pit, container or wheelbarrow as well as in cutting a trench or slicing off thick turf. Our Terra Verde Garden Spade features a heat-treated, hardened steel blade with a contoured, ash wood D-handle.
5. Loopers
Loppers are basically long-handled pruners used to trim hard to reach areas and cut thicker branches. The long handles provide the leverage it takes to cut through branches up to an inch or more in diameter. There are anvil and bypass types, just like pruners. Handles generally range from 16 to 36 inches.
6. Deluxe Stainless Steel Soil Knife
The Deluxe Stainless-Steel Soil Knife works well for nearly any task. Use it to plant bulbs, flowers, and herbs. Its razor-sharp edge cleanly slices through plant roots, weeds, twine, or plant ties. It also works well for dividing plants, digging up rocks, and cleaning out cracks in your sidewalk or pavement. The blade withstands over 300 pounds of pressure, so it stands up to nearly any task. Purchase online for curbside pickup.
7. Garden Fork
An efficient tool for turning soil, garden forks can dig into dense soil better than a spade. The Razor-Back spading fork is a multipurpose tool that can be used for turning, digging, and loosening all types of soil. It can also be used to transfer loose material. The forged head contains 4 diamond-shaped tines for maximum strength and durability.
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- Forks with a slight curve to the spines are useful for scooping mulch or turning compost piles, much like a pitchfork.
- Straight tines are better for digging; great for compacted, rocky, or clay soil.
- Square tines are stronger than flat tines which can bend when they hit a rock or root.
8. Rake
Rakes come in a wide variety of styles and sizes, but a great starter is a standard leaf rake. The Razor-Back 24-tine steel leaf rake is used for clearing leaves and debris from lawns. The flexible steel tines will pull out thatch for a healthier lawn. The steel head is bolted to the handle for a secure connection while raking.
The bow rake is perfect for loosening or breaking up compacted soil, spreading mulch or other material evenly and leveling areas before planting. It can also be used to collect leaves, hay, grass or other garden debris.
9. Hoe
Garden hoes come in several different forms. Each type is made for a specific purpose. Examples of their usage are for eliminating the tops of annual weeds, grooming the soil around shallow-rooted plants, or working between plants with tight spaces. A veggie garden may require a sturdy, wide hoe. If you have perennial gardens, a more delicate touch and a thinner hoe may be required. Hoes are useful in preparing garden and flower beds and cutting down weeds.
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- Look for a comfortable handle with a long reach.
- A sharp blade works better and is easier to use.
- Weeding hoes, also called hula or stirrup hoes, have an open square head and are pushed back and forth just under the soil surface to cut down top growth.
10. Hose
There are three basic hose diameters: ½-inch (avg. 9 gal per minute), 5/8-inch (avg. 15 gal per minute), and ¾-inch (up to 25 gal per minute). An adjustable nozzle puts you in control of the water pressure and spray radius.
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- Estimate the amount of length you will need with your hose before buying one.
- Hose length will affect water pressure - the longer the hose, the lower the resulting pressure.
- Vinyl hoses are lighter weight and less expensive, but kink easier and don’t last as long as rubber construction.
- Store hoses coiled up and out of direct sunlight. Storing with kinks in them can result in weak spots.
11. Watering Wand
A watering wand turns a standard garden hose into a gentle garden sprayer. Beyond their softer spray, they provide a wider reach to water plants without crouching or using a stepladder. Watering wands come in a range of styles and sizes from 10 to 48 inches.. When choosing the best watering wand for your needs, consider the material, size, spray pattern, handle, hose connection, and any adjustable features that make watering easier. MVG recommends the Sunrise Rain Wand is great for container and garden bed watering. This lightweight Rain Wand provides a gentle, full-flow shower for flowers that won’t wash away soil or harm tender plants. The Sunrise Rain Wand has a comfortable foam grip and is equipped with the QAV Shut-Off.
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Choose an appropriate length for your needs - longer for high hanging baskets, shorter for tighter spaces.- Built-in shut off valves in the handle conserve water and allow you to adjust the flow.
12. Wheelbarrow
Whether it’s for carrying compost, gathering raked leaves and other cuttings, or moving around pebbles or rocks, wheelbarrows are indispensable in most gardens.
For more information give us a call a 937-845-0093 or ask a question here.
