Best Gardening Tools and Equipment: A Guide for Successful Cultivation

Welcome to the world of home gardening, and my best home gardening equipment needs. Whether you’re a seasoned green thumb or a novice looking to embark on a gardening journey, having the right and essential gardening equipment can make a significant difference in the success of your garden. In this guide, we’ll explore essential home gardening equipment recommendations that will help you create a thriving and beautiful garden. This is not an exhaustive list, but I am going to offer my best gardening tools and equipment recommendations.

Best Equipment for the Lawn

Still have a lawn? Maybe it is small and drought tolerant. Maybe it is large and offers lots of space for activities. Chances are that you need a lawn mower. A reliable lawn mower is an indispensable tool for maintaining a neat and well-kept lawn, serving as the backbone of any home gardening toolkit. As grass continues to grow, a mower becomes essential for ensuring an even and aesthetically pleasing lawn surface. Regular mowing not only enhances the visual appeal of the outdoor space but also promotes the overall health of the grass by encouraging dense and resilient growth.

Beyond the cosmetic benefits, a well-kept lawn contributes to a comfortable and enjoyable outdoor environment, providing a space for recreation, relaxation, and social activities. Investing in a quality lawn mower not only saves time and effort but also plays a pivotal role in cultivating a vibrant and inviting outdoor landscape around your home.

Lawn mowers come in various types, each designed to suit different lawn sizes, terrains, and personal preferences. I have just under 10,000 square feet of lawn and have two lawn mowers. Mowing with my ride on is definitely part of my anti-stressing activities. Riding a lawn mower across the lawn transforms the routine task of grass cutting into a surprisingly tranquil and therapeutic experience, allowing me to unwind. My lawn mower of choice is the John Deere 135 and it has survived more than ten years at my house.

I also use a push mower for two reasons. First, push mowers do a nice job of removing the grass clippings which I add to my compost pile. Second, it is very useful at picking up leaves and debris. I am extremely pleased with my Greenworks 21-inch electric mower. I purchased the 60V version with two batteries and I can easily mow my entire yard on one charge. Of course this mower can be set in mulching mode to further chop up grass clippings, leaving them on the lawn as fertilizer.

I love how quite this mower is and how there are no exhaust fumes to walk behind. It starts very easily, recharges in less than an hour, and no gas is needed! This lawn mower is highly recommended. It comes in a box and is assembled in no time. You can’t go wrong with this mower!

Lawn Edging

If you have a lawn, you likely have various difficult edges which require edging tools. We all know about those hand edgers. They are terrible! I have been using a gas powered edger for about ten years and it has worked well.

I predict I will eventually switch over to the electric Greenworks system. But my weed trimmer has to die for this to happen and it doesn’t show any indications of doing so. My recommendation is to go with electric if you are in the market for a trimmer. It is getting increasingly difficult to find a gas powered trimmer in some states and the electric technology is getting impressive. I would recommend the Greenworks 24V 13-Inch Brushless String Trimmer.

Yard Cleanup Equipment

Obviously one needs rakes and various types of equipment, gloves, and other things to clean the yard. I won’t cover those here; however, I am convinced everyone needs a blower. I know they can be super loud, but hear me out! Blowers are extremely important, even if you don’t have a lot of trees and debris generating plants because the wind will bring you debris regardless. Your yard looks so much more impressive after a good blow. Think of it as a car wash for your house.

Thanks to modern technology, the days of loud blowers for the home owner are leaving us. We have all heard the incessant and high-pitched drone of the loud blower used for yard maintenance. I know, it is an unwelcome soundtrack. Read on as there is hope.

I am not going to even share the type of my old gas powered blower with you. It has been to the shop several times and continues to give me nothing but a headache. I pray for it to start, yanking the cord on it according to instructions, and it only rarely starts. Once it starts, I have to baby it to keep it going. Annoying!

My purchase of the Greenworks PRO 170 MPH 700 CFM 60V Battery Cordless Handheld Leaf Blower was one of my best decisions. This unit came without the battery and charger; however, I already had two batteries and a charger with my lawn mower. Yes, it starts every time, provides up to 50 minutes of blowing, and is so quiet no ear protection is needed. I am sure the neighbors love me for this new purchase.

Finding the Right Tools for the Job

Loppers and Pruners

if you have roses, fruit trees, or a number of plants that need regular pruning, investing in some quality pruners is essential. Do a quick search on Amazon for pruners and you are faced with a ton of choices. How do you chose?

Here is what I did. I went to a vineyard supply store and asked for the best hand pruners, and they recommended the Corona BP 4840 which has a rolling handle. I decided to purchase them at the store and I paid over $80 dollars for them! They can be had on Amazon for as little as $30. These pruners have a limited life time warranty and are designed for heavy use. The rolling handle helps with repetitive use.

I have had the same loppers for more than 20 years. I try to lube them and sharpen them at least once a year. They take a serious amount of abuse and just keep on working. These will cut through branches between one and two inches thick. I dare say I have used them to cut much thicker branches. They are tough! I recommend loppers with long, sturdy handles.

Wood Chipper

Once upon a time, a home gardener was interested in acquiring a wood chipper to recycle all the branches and debris as mulch. It was to be perfect. To recycle all organic matter in the landscape. That home gardener is me and I found room in my shed for a wood chipper. What a great idea to get an electric wood chipper? No hassles with gas or starting it. I purchased an electric chipper and destroyed in in several hours. It barely shredded little twigs. I think It might have been useful for leaves and that is about it. I am NOT going to recommend an electric trimmer to you here.

I needed horse power and that meant gasoline. The sticker shock of a new unit was too much, and I found a used Troy-Bilt Tomahawk 8 HP wood chipper. It was a heavily used unit, but still in working condition. The cost was $400 which was much less than a new unit. It worked well for a few years and I needed to get it serviced. My first service on the unit was more than $500!

The Troy-Bilt isn’t made anymore; however it has a Briggs and Stratton engine and parts are easily obtained. It does go through belts fast and they are not easy to change. It is very nice having a wood chipper on hand. I can recycle branches and debris quickly and put it back on the landscape. Currently, the number one rated chipper on Amazon is the GreatCircleUSA Mini Wood Chipper Shredder Mulcher Ultra Duty 7 HP . Something like this will be my next chipper purchase!

I hope these recommendations are helpful to you. They make life workable in my little patch. I also recommend checking out my author page and taking a look at my book offerings. A published several books, including one about growing giant pumpkins and one about growing fruits and vegetables.