Essential Garden Tools

Here's a short list (and some pointers) of tools that we have found to be truly essential to running our microfarm. "Tried and true," some of the tools we use have multiple uses, but for the sake of keeping things simple, we have classified the tools by "task at hand."

Outdoor Protection

1. Wide brimmed sun hat

2. Sunscreen

3. Lightweight sunglasses

Wide-brimmed hat, Wide sunglasses & Sunscreen

I grew up in a town that we now jokingly call "RAIN-couver." In my youth, my friends and I were always desperately seeking the sun. I remember baking ourselves with baby oil! Now I'm much wiser and trying my best to protect my skin from the harsh UV rays. Even on cloudy days, my morning regime includes sunscreen. I've also managed to find a wide-brimmed hat that keeps its shape and doesn't mess with my hair-do!

Potting/Sowing/planting

Medium mixing tub, butter knife, hand trowel/small shovel

1. A butter knife

2. Mixing tub

3. Hand trowel

4. Wheelbarrow

When it comes time for potting up seedlings or amending soil, a medium-sized mixing tub or wheel barrow comes in handy for wetting soil and mixing with a hand trowel. A simple butterknife is not only great for popping seedlings out of trays, but it's also useful for creating similar sized holes for potting seedlings up into 4" pots.

Snips, Bonsai Shears, and Bypass Pruners (L to R)

Harvesting/dividing/pruning

1. Snips

2. Bonsai shears

3. Pruning shears

4. Loppers

You don't have to pay through the nose for a great set of tools. Gonicc brand snips and shears that we bought years ago have remained sharp with little care.

Hori-Hori Knife and hand-held Hula Hoe (L to R)

Weeding

1. Hori-Hori knife

2. Hula Hoe

We probably have more weeds than the average farmer! Both the hori-hori and hula hoe allow us to get in between plants, effectively lifting roots of weeds out.

Note: Hula Hoes also come in longer 5'+ sizes for raking out weeds for larger areas.

Digging/Planting/Lifting out plants

1. Round point shovel with D handle

2. Pitch fork

3. Hand trowel WITH meausrement markings

4. Hard rake (wood handled or fiberglass)

Rounded Point Shovel with D-handle, Pitch Fork, Double-sided Hard Rake (L to R)

When it comes to shovels/pitch forks/rakes, we usually choose a tool with a durable fiberglass or steel shaft over wood, despite its weight. Over time, I need a tool that is durable against working with clay and can also withstand the elements. (Yes, I am as equally guilty as my kids for leaving tools out and about!)

Note: We love our double-sided rake. The larger tined side is great for moving compost out of the truck and the smaller tined side comes in handy for leveling amended soil!

Next on my wishlist is a slatted spade to cope with our heavy clay soil in the wet winter months!!

Feeding

2 Gallon Pump Sprayer

1. Two Gallon Pump Sprayer

When it comes to feeding plants, we not only amend our beds before planting, but we also foliar feed our plants with a mixture of kelp and other liquid based nutrients to keep them healthy and blooming.

What's your favorite garden tool ? Please share with us!

Recommended products:

Wide brimmed sun hat: https://amzn.to/48MzKQf

Color Science GLOW Sunscreen: https://amzn.to/3V9Fnou

Snips: https://amzn.to/3TroMuU

Bonsai shears:https://amzn.to/48MJl9E

Bypass/pruning shears:https://amzn.to/3V9HCYL

Hori-hori knife: https://amzn.to/4c7jz2x

Short/hand-held Hula Hoe: https://amzn.to/3Tv7WeQ