Basic Gardening Tools For The Beginning Gardener

Mary Ruddy

rolling garden cartIf you have been considering growing a garden for the first time, you may be overwhelmed by the number of tools that are used for gardening.

However, keep in mind as a first time gardener that you don’t need every tool under the sun.

In fact, here are 7 basic gardening tools that should get you started in growing a successful garden:

  • A Rolling Garden Cart: While some professionals don’t consider a rolling garden cart an essential basic tool, most gardeners do. These handy little carts give you a way to easily transport tools, plants, fertilizer, and sometimes they even include seats that save wear and tear on your knees when working in the garden.
  • A Garden Fork: A garden fork can be used for helping to break up soil, lifting it, turning it, and loosening it so that it gets air.
  • Watering Can or Hose: Plants need plenty of watering, so having a watering can or hose is necessary for successful plant growth, whether you are planting a vegetable or flower garden.
  • Spade: Before planting a garden, you first need to remove the sod and break up the soil. Even if you rent or borrow a machine to plow up your garden, a spade is needed to turn the soil and remove or break up clumps of dirt. You can even do the initial preparation for a small garden plot using a spade, garden fork and a rake.
  • Rake: A garden rake is used for light weeding, levelling, and removing dead plant material. It is essential for keeping the area between your rows of plants level enough to kneel or stand in when working in your garden.
  • Hand trowel: A hand trowel is a small spade-like tool that is used for digging holes, removing starter plants from the soil, and mixing in fertilizer or compost around individuals plants. It is an essential tool for both flower and vegetable gardens.
  • Hand Fork: A hand fork is a much smaller version of a garden fork and is needed to for lifting and loosening dirt from around individual plants.

While these seven basic gardening tools will get your gardening off to a great start, there are some other tools you may want to look into that will make gardening easier as well.

Some of these tools are:

  • A sturdy pair of work gloves
  • A knee cushion for when you have to kneel
  • A pair of gardening shears

Hopefully these basic gardening tools guidelines will help you to ensure that you have everything you need to create a successful vegetable, herb or flower garden.

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