Nowadays, gardening is extremely popular. Anyone can try this healthy and exciting activity. However, it can be a tricky task for first-time gardeners who have to discover the types of plants to grow and the acceptable way of caring for them.
Suppose you've just moved into a home and found a piece of land to start growing plants. There are many tools in the market, but what is essential for beginners? Crucial gardening tools for beginners are not hard to find and they don't have to fill up your entire shed.
Remember: getting started in the garden for the first time doesn't have to be a daunting task; you only need proper tools.
So, you will need the following basic tools to start this new hobby.
1. Gloves
Without a proper pair of gloves, gardening, a beautiful hobby, can turn into a real hassle.
Gloves don't have to be too bulky. Still, they must be durable, especially for working on transplanting seeding or generally with seeds.
They have to fit, as bad-fitting gloves can lead to blisters or slip off your hands.
Gloves must be water-resistant and breathable to keep your hands comfortable.
Wrists and forearms are protected from scratches by more extended cuffs. They also protect arms from soil that can get into the gloves.
2. Knee pads
If you kneel on hard, uneven ground for hours, you can injure your knees over time so look into knee pads. There are two different types of knee protection. Knee pads that you place on the ground and kneel on and those you wear on your knees. No matter which one you choose, purchase at least one kind of knee pad.
3. Hand trowel
Aside from quality and durable gloves and knee pads, a novice gardener should have a trustworthy hand trowel. If you have no other gardening tools right now, at least purchase a scoop. They are incredibly affordable and outdoor gardeners will need them for everything from rearranging soil to planting. Even someone with only a few houseplants will also need this when the time comes to mix in the new ground or repot.
There are several types of trowels on the market. You can choose between a scoop trowel for scooping dirt or transplanting seedlings and a bamboo trowel used for transplanting houseplants in the pots or mixing fertilizer into the soil. The so-called Hori Hori trowel is also for weeding, cutting, digging, and other scoops.
4. Quality knife
The most helpful tools in a gardener's shed are indispensable automatic knives that can do almost everything in your garden, such as removing roots from small crevices between pavers and cutting dull weeds. They are made from stainless steel, durable, and extremely strong. There is a variety of those knives. Some of them have a serrated edge on one side of the blade that doubles as a saw to open bags of compost or cut greens, vegetables, weeds, and branches off.
This handy knife is always the first tool recommended for novice gardeners because of its multipurpose use.
5. Hoe
Hoe is one of the essential gardening tools. What type of hoe you need depends on your garden type. A broad and sturdy hoe is ideal for a veggie garden. At the same time, a thinner and more delicate one is better if you’re tending to a garden full of perennials.
Hoes are particularly useful in preparing flower beds and cutting deep weeds.
There are various hoes on the market, but we recommend you opt for one with a long reach. Also, search for a hoe with a comfortable handle and sharp blade.
In addition, weeding hoes have an open square head. That is practical for pushing back and forth under the soil to cut down growth on the top of the soil surface. On the other hand, flat hoes are excellent for turning soil rows in gardens.
6. Garden spade
A garden spade is also useful for digging as it’s bigger than a trowel but smaller than a shovel. It is used in drilling holes for shrubs, trees, or extensive flower planting. When you want to shovel soil, compost, or organic fertilizer out of a pit, the garden spade is particularly useful in cutting off thick turf.
Besides, it can also help chop off small tree roots; therefore, keep it sharp.
7. Bow rake
This tool is helpful for your surface-level soil work. It is mainly used to level your garden. Still, it can also clean gardens of various debris, making your soil more consistent. It can also be used for leaves, although it’s heavier than standard leaf rakes.
8. Water hose
Most novice gardeners already own a hose, but it's essential to include it because it is perhaps the most important long-handled tool! Without it, you can't deliver water to your plants to enable them to grow.
We have presented you with the essential garden tools for beginners. Yet, we didn't mention additional vital tools, such as a hand pruner, digging fork, and round-headed shovel, which you also need for gardening. Therefore, make sure to purchase those too.