When taking up gardening, like any activity, you’ll need certain tools to be able to do it properly. You will need basic tools like a hand trowel, fork, shovel, rake, and gloves. You will also need tools for pruning and harvesting crops like shears and tools for watering such as different hoses or watering cans. You might also need a wheelbarrow to haul soil or leaves. However, it’s sometimes difficult to know which gardening tools you should get and where you can find them. Here are the top ways to find great gardening gear that you can use to help cultivate your garden!

Pick Durable Tools

The first way to find great gardening gear is to make sure you pick tools that are durable so they can live with you for a while. An important way to tell if a tool will live long is by looking at how it is made. For example, when looking at a digging tool, the way the handle is attached to the rest of the tool can make a world of a difference to how long it will last. Durable tools have a connection that is forged from top to bottom of the tool. Tools with a solid strap attached that is seamless will also be pretty resilient.

Comfort Is Key

When picking out gardening tools, the grip of the tool is a crucial issue because it determines how comfortable a tool will be when using it. You should always find tools that have a padded grip as this means you won’t end up with red hands and blisters. Gear with ergonomic grips also helps to reduce stress on your hand from holding the tool too hard. Tools with larger handles can also be more comfortable as you will be able to get a better grip on them. You should always test out the tool you are intending to buy and mimic the motion you will be carrying out to see how comfortable it will be.

Repurpose Household Items

Besides buying gardening gear, another unexpected way to find good tools is through repurposing any household items you may have. For example, you can use empty milk cartons to plant your seeds in or cut milk jugs in half and use them as makeshift trowels. You can also build your own gardening tools. For instance, tomato cages can be made from concrete reinforcement wires or raised flower beds can be crafted from any leftover lumber you have lying around.

Choose Moderately Priced, Good Quality Tools

It’s a good rule of thumb to pick gardening gear that is moderately priced but of great quality. Gina Harper, a gardening guru at harpersnurseries.com/, recommends not always going for high-end items that are advertised everywhere. Instead, you should look for items that are moderately priced while still maintaining a high-quality standard. It’s easy to find out the price of gardening gear items but knowing the quality before buying can be a bit trickier. However, you can find out whether an item is of high quality by reading reviews by objective gardeners who have used the item which will typically be more trustworthy than generic gardening websites who might be looking to promote a certain item.

Consider Tools with Interchangeable Heads

You might want to consider gardening gear that has the option of interchangeable tool heads. In this case, you buy a handle and then any attachable tool heads that you might need. You simply click the head onto the handle and it is ready for use. These tools are typically more expensive than regular ones but they are usually of good quality and you can always replace a tool head if one gets damaged rather than buy a whole new tool.

Select Tools Suitable for the Job

There are many gardening tools available on the market and each has a specific function. Shovels are tools that can be used to cultivate and plant, while spades are used for digging from a short distance. A hand-fork is often used for weeding while gloves protect your hands while working. You’ll also need watering tools to keep your plants hydrated and tools to rake up the leaves in your garden. Make sure to research exactly what gear you need for the task you want to do so you don’t buy irrelevant tools that won’t do the job.

Finding the right gear when it comes to gardening may seem easy enough but you have to keep several factors in mind when making the pick. For example, you should always make sure to choose tools that are durable, moderately priced, and that are the right ones for the job at hand. Most garden centers you go to will advise you on which tools are the best but they may be just trying to make a sale so learning how to find great gardening gear on your own can spare you a headache and some bucks.