Top 5 Must-Have Garden Tools for Easy and Efficient Gardening
So there aren't really any MUST HAVE tools.... but there are some tools that I find super helpful, tough and are, for the most part, affordable. By nature I am not a gadget girl! If it can't do a whole bunch of different things, I don't want it. Even my kitchen only has a stand mixer and a blender for small appliances...... I'm not interested in storing things so I can use them once or twice per year. With all that being said, these are the things I do have and love!
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Hori Hori
These have gained some traction in the last few years and that is something I am truly happy about. Hori Hori's are a unique garden tool that originates from Japan. This tool is a knife, shovel, measuring tape, line cutter, saw and hammer all in one. But here is the thing. The difference in quality I've seen is shocking. I am hard on tools. I expect them to do what they say they are going to do and if it says its a hammer, you bet I'm going to be hammering things. I am yet to see a product that even compares to the Hori Hori by Barebones. I have had mine for 4 years and it has been through the wringer. Made with only wood and steel, I promise you, this tool will be around for years.
Grow Lights
I start a lot of plants from seed every year.... a lot! But many people are gardening as a fun hobby or to help offset the cost of food. This means you don't want to be spending thousands of dollars to start seeds.... the math just doesn't add up. A few years ago I came across the grow lights on amazon. They are truly affordable for what you get and if you are looking for something simple, they don't come easier than this. You can easily connect all of the lights together, so even with multiple lights you are only needing one outlet and they come in straight white or with the blue and red spectrum. Your choice. I have a few of each and have had great results! They even come in 2 ft or 4ft lengths depending on your needs!
Irrigation Timer
If you are a busy person and you don't have an irrigation timer, you are doing yourself a disservice! A lot of people seem to get nervous and assume it will be complicated every time I bring up irrigation. But it can be as simple or as complicated as you make it. The irrigation timer I'm showing you today is as simple as they come. So simple, that if you choose to, you could simply hook a hose up to the IN side and soaker hoses up to the OUT sides. Of course you can make it a little more complicated. Bring on the hard lines and drip irrigation etc.... but if you want to go that route, even that is pretty basic. This irrigation timer is easy to understand, you can set it and forget it or if your regulations
change, go back and simply change the settings!
Easy, I promise.
Broadfork
If you have been around for a while, you know I am not a fan of tilling. But I do live in an area with naturally silty, compact soil. While I have been working hard to correct the soil in my own yard, breaking up the compaction so compost, oxygen and roots can move through the soil, has been necessary, The tool that does this beautifully without destroying the structure of the soil is the broadfork. These are easy to use and can be helpful in small or large spaces. I use mine on the entire garden twice per year, spring and late fall, when I'm adding new compost to the beds. This has saved me a lot of hard digging that would have been necessary otherwise.
Felco Pruners
I work in landscaping and gardening professionally..... I've used a lot of hand pruners. Felco's are by far the toughest and best brand I've found. Being made completely of steel and aluminum, it's almost impossible to break a pair. And if you find one that fits nicely in your hand (and you will because they have a ton of sizes) they have the easiest and smoothest motion. Again, I highly recommend a pair of these!
So, at the beginning of this I told you these products are affordable and right now, you might be thinking to yourself, 'well I find some of those to be price!' ......I hear you. The things is, it
doesn't make financial sense to buy cheap tools that need to be replaced every year. Let's take my hori hori for example. Let's say I paid $120.00 for it. I am now going into my 5th year of use. So, 120/5 = $24 per year. If I was to have boughten a $50 Hori Hori made with plastic and it broke after the first year. I am now looking at having to buy a new one. And therefor, over 5 years, Im potentially looking at spending $50 per year, as opposed to the $24 that I am currently at. It is completely your choice which tools you choose and how much you pay for them.... I simply want you to have some tools that can make your life easier and don't break the bank! Until next time..... Happy Gardening!
