4 Gardening Tools You Need
May 2, 2018
There are four tools on my garden bench that if I didn’t have, I would feel like I am missing a limb. These essentials not only perform their specific function well, but can also multitask. I keep my hand tools in a bucket of sand to prevent rust. It is important to clean and dry your tools after use, and once a year, rub a little mineral oil on the metal to keep them shiny and sharp.
Hand Weeder
This long-necked steel tool is great for running along cracks to remove weeds, getting deep into the soil to get a weed by its root, and making holes to plant seeds. I keep this tool hooked in my belt loop when working outdoors because I’m always reaching for it.
Hand Cultivator
In my smallish garden, I don’t always need large tools for working soil, so this little claw tool is perfect for creating rows for planting, for scooping and spreading compost and mulch, and loosening dirt in flower beds.
Stainless Steel Secateurs
Don’t waste any more money on disposable hand pruners from a big box store. Get one pair of lifetime, stainless steel pruners, or secateurs, and don’t look back. A clean, sharp cut is import for the health of your plants. I use these for harvesting herbs and flowers, or pruning and shaping woody plants with a diameter under 1/2″.
Stainless Steel Hori Hori Knife
I learned about this multipurpose tool in Japan and mine has become my most indispensable tool! It has both a smooth and serrated edge for cutting or sawing and cuts through soil with ease, or saws the bottoms off plant starts for placing into the ground. It’s great as a miniature shovel for planting, cutting through roots, dividing plants, and weeding. It even has a ruler on the blade for measuring planting depths. I’m hooked!
My goodness, Genevieve! I love how you live with selected quality pieces ~ home, garden, studio, office. You are right about these four hand tools; Master Gardeners prefer the Felco pruners. Another handy post from beeandbubbles ~ thank you!
A small amount of good tools make all the difference!