21 Hand Tools That Make Gardening Easier

No matter what you do in life, the proper tools can make a huge difference. Having those proper tools on hand before you need them can save you a lot of time and frustration.

So here is a list of 21 popular tools that gardeners often use and you may want to get before you need them.

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The best investment is in the tools of one’s own trade.
Benjamin Franklin

Broadfork

Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

The broadfork is a favorite of many gardeners. This is not a typical pitchfork, it is used to loosen and aerate the soil without disturbing the soil food web. This ensures your soil, that you work so hard to feed and nurture so that it can grow the finest of plants, stays healthy, and gets prepared for the next planting.

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Loppers

Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

I never knew just how valuable this tool was to me until I broke the loppers I had. This is one of those tools that make light work out of pruning your fruit trees and when you don’t have your loppers the job gets much harder. It didn’t take me long to buy another one.

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Pruners

Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

My pruners are a tool that is always nearby when I’m working in the garden. The reality is I have a few of them strategically placed around the property so they’re never far away. It seems like there is always a plant, a shrub, or a tree that needs a little trim and this is the tool you need for that light work.

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Hand Trowel

Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

The gardener’s tool of choice when it comes to popping those seedlings in the ground. If you know how to use one efficiently you can make speedy work of your planting with a good hand trowel.

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Brush Clearing Sickle

Last update on 2023-03-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

My favorite tool when it comes to cutting down cover crops. I prefer it over power trimmers or even a machete for laying plants to the ground for the benefit of the soil. Using a good sharp hand sickle will connect you to hundreds of years of farmers who have done it the same way.

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Hori Hori Weeding and Digging Knife

Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

I never knew what I was missing until I first used a Hori Hori knife in my garden. This fantastic tool makes easy work of harvesting your vegetables. This knife can also be used as a trowel to do the work of planting seedlings as well as being a great weeding tool. It really is a multipurpose tool for the gardener.

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Manure Fork

Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

This fork is great for loading the wheelbarrow up with manure or compost and spreading your garden gold around the beds. I find it also is a great alternative to a hay rake when you don’t have one of those around.

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Digging Fork

Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

This fork has thicker forks for digging into soil or compacted manure. When you need a heavy-duty pitchfork, this is the tool you need. I find this particular fork in my hand the most around the homestead.

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Pruning Saw

Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

When the pruning job is a little too big for the loppers you need to break out a more serious tool. That’s when you need a pruning saw. You can get bigger ones with a sheath but I find the folding ones are heavy-duty enough for most jobs.

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Pole Pruning Saw

Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Sometimes you need to get to things a little higher up but you don’t want the instability of working from a ladder. Having a pole pruning saw can help you handle the pruning of your larger trees on the homestead.

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Weed Scythe

Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

If you have a larger area of weeds you need to cut or cover crops you need to drop, the Weed Scythe is a great tool. I will admit that getting used to using this tool properly and efficiently takes a little work and time but when you get it you can cut it quickly.

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2 Wheel Wheelbarrow

Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Every permaculture homestead needs a wheelbarrow but maybe you have never used a two-wheel wheelbarrow. Once you do you will never want to go back to a single wheel again.

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Garden Cart

Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

I find I am constantly moving an amazing amount of stuff around the property. Tools, plants, soil, whatever you’re moving around it is nice to get it all and one trip and easily pull it around.

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Reel Lawnmower

Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Permaculture homesteaders don’t have lawns, do they? Well, some do but that isn’t why you need this tool. I find the best pathways throughout my garden and food forest are clover walkways. I won’t get into all the benefits of using clover here but the fact is you will need to occasionally cut down the height of your paths a bit and a reel mower works great for that.

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Garden Rake

Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Every gardener needs a heavy-duty garden rake to spread out soil and amendments on the garden. You could probably do it by hand or with a shovel but a rake makes it easier.

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Yard Rake

Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Having a yard rake to gather up cut grass and leaves for the compost bin is a necessity for every homeowner let alone gardener. I particularly like the ones that adjust the fan width of the rake to make it stiffer for heavier raking needs.

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Scoop Shovel

Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Sometimes you have to move things like compost in bulk and the compost is too loose for a pitchfork. A lightweight scoop shovel will allow you to quickly move a lot of stuff very quickly saving you some time for the more fun things.

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Round Point Shovel

Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

When you have got to dig dirt this is the shovel you need. the point helps you cut into hard soil with ease and will save you some frustration if you are using the wrong tool for the job.

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Square Point Shovel

Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Great for that intermediate work where it’s a little too heavy and hard for a scoop shovel but the round point shovel isn’t necessary and too small. I find this shovel in my hands most often when I need a shovel.

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Garden Spade

Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

I find this to be the best tool for digging holes for tree planting. The shape and durability of the shovel makes it great for digging in compacted, rocky, or root fill soil.

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Pocket Knife

Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Let’s wrap up the tool list with one that maybe nobody thinks of as a necessary permaculture garden tool. When I am working around the homestead my pocket knife has to come out for a job constantly and a couple of times in my life when I lost my knife I immediately bought another one. This tool is a must-have in my opinion for every gardener.

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