Shopping

26 Insanely Useful Products All Gardeners Should Own

Everything you need to get a greener thumb.

Posted on June 19, 2016, 13:01 GMT

Mallory McInnis

BuzzFeed Staff

We hope you love the products we recommend! Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.

We recently asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us about their favorite gardening products and their suggestions will make you want to head out to your garden ASAP.

1. A hori hori (a knife meant to use in the garden, not at the dinner table).

"A Japanese gardening knife is my absolute must. Weeding, planting, chopping, generally abusing it: this thing does it all. It's always on my belt or in my hand whenever I'm in the garden."—walterthemangoGet one from Amazon for $28.98.

Advertisement

2. A barrel to collect rain to water your garden with.

"Rain is so much better than cold hose water, which is often treated with chlorine and what not."—Nemi1969Get this model with a planter on top for $100.99 at Wayfair or purchase a more traditional model at Amazon for $71.99. You could also just buy this simple appendage that connects to almost any downspout (and direct the rainwater into whatever type of bucket or barrel you wish).

3. Plant labels to help you keep all your sprouts straight.

"I inherited a greenhouse from the previous owners of my house and decided to become a gardener. I am very bad at it. The only reason I know what everything is, is because I'd label every pot as soon as I put a seed in it: very handy when you're attempting to grow several varieties of plants that you've never seen before!"—e4db7dc3e9Get the pretty personalized plant markers from Sophia Victoria Joy on Etsy for $5.08 or pick up some more utilitarian markers on Amazon for $2.16.

4. Durable gloves coated with finger-protecting Nitrile.

"I can't recommend them enough! They're rubberized on the palm & fingers (so no dirt under your nails), but the back is a breathable (so they're not hot). You can't use them to prune your roses, but for most other gardening they're great."—RCIAGGet a four pack on Amazon for $15.25.

5. A simple spray bottle to help revive parched plants.

"Nothing helps perk up my poor wilt-y plants after a dry spell like a deep watering followed by a spritz-y shower to freshen them up. It's like how when you're really hot and dehydrated: you need to drink water, but a cool shower feels damn good too."—Kaytiann Severen, FacebookGet one from Amazon for $4.75.

Advertisement

6. A Hula Hoe to make your knees very happy.

"Everyone should have a Hula Hoe. It's the perfect tool for quickly weeding without having to be on your knees all day. It works best in larger areas with younger weeds, but you can use it in smaller areas by tilting it to get between plants."—Erron Kellner, FacebookGet one on Amazon for $19.30.

7. Fabric pots for gardeners who don't have the space for an actual flower (or vegetable) bed.

"Smart Pots are great if you don't have a permanent spot to garden or to use to expand an existing one. There are several sizes to fit any need."—rebeccab44b1ca1f3Get your own in a variety of sizes here.

8. A pack of bamboo stakes that you'll end up using in about a dozen different ways.

"Support plants, create fences, stick a bunch of snapped stakes in the ground to deter cats or squirrels, use them as trellises... the list goes on. They're also very affordable and can be reused many times."—benh4c7b11960Get a pack of 25 on Amazon for $4.55 (or a pack of 200 for $30.23).

9. A composter to transform your kitchen waste into soil-upgrading compost.

"I love my rolling one!"—Nemi1969Get one from Amazon for $82.59.

Advertisement

10. Liquid seaweed to help stimulate seedling and bud growth.

Suggested by caitlinmarieh2.Get it from Amazon for $16.05.

11. A tool that can C.L.A.W. (cultivate, loosen, aerate, and weed).

Suggested by whistlefairy.Get one from Amazon for $20.10.

12. A folding saw to easily prune trees or bushes.

"The Silky Pocketboy cuts on the pull stroke with crazy sharp teeth that have no trouble with thick branches. I've used it to cut tenacious vines off at the root as well."—BridieeGet it from Amazon for $24.36.

13. A soaker hose to help water reach the roots of the plants in your garden.

"An extremely helpful time-saver."

—bethanyb4d9b17b0b

Get one from Amazon for $8.97.

Advertisement

14. A book to teach you the art of companion planting.

"Knowing which plants work well together can give you a bigger harvest, prevent certain pests, and make a gorgeous plot."—loveyourmountainsGet it on Amazon for $8.67.

15. A mattock for breaking up dense soil, cutting up roots, and more.

"It makes clearing up a really weedy patch SOOOO easy!"—jennymetGet one from Amazon for $31.42.

16. A pair of pruning shears that'll cut through stems and branches with ease.

Suggested by Tiffany F..Get a pair from Amazon for $11.79.

17. Irish Spring soap to deter deer, rabbits, and other furry critters from tromping into your garden.

"You take a bar of soap, chop it up, and hang it in a mesh bag near your garden and the scent drives the animals away. It's great because you don't have to use harsh chemicals on your plants and soil. Just make sure you hang it outside of your garden, otherwise when it rains your plants might get a bath!"—amandaw4cd36e272Get a twenty pack on Amazon for $17.47.

Advertisement

18. Plus hardware cloth to stop pests from digging their way into your plant beds.

"Putting it down has helped keep critters from burrowing up."

—Jenna Ballinger

Get it from Amazon for $69.99.

19. A multipurpose tool that'll help you dig, weed, and trench.

"The ho mi tool has been used for centuries in Asia. It's actually more ergonomic to dig on your knees (or squat) than to kill your back using a shovel or hoe."—BridieeGet one from Amazon for $23.97.

20. A planter that'll do the watering for you (keeping roots moist for over four weeks).

"For us forgetful types." —Tiffany F.Get one on Amazon for $11.49.

21. Copper tape to keep pesky slugs and snails from slithering their way onto your precious plants.

Suggested by karlentonip.Get it from Amazon for $14.90.

Advertisement

22. 10-10-10 fertilizer to help out soil that just isn't getting the job done.

"The best kind of fertilizer. I had cucumbers on the brink of death and it brought them back to life."—Carolyn HaydenGet it from The Home Depot for $9.99.

23. Or fertilizer that releases over a long period of time.

"Osmocote fertilizer only needs to be applied once every three to four months! I put it on all of my plants."—carolyng4b1e2627aGet it from Amazon for $27.12.

24. A sturdy garden wagon to transport all your new tools with ease.

"So much easier to load everything up and haul it around the yard while you're planting or weeding."—Hunter W. Sherwood, FacebookGet it from Amazon for $69.98.

25. And a journal for taking notes on how all the things you tried in your garden actually worked out.

"It will help you grow year after year as your love for gardening expands."—caitlinmarieh2Get this one from Two Little Possums on Etsy for $13.60.

Advertisement

The comments for this post have been edited for length and clarity.

Want to be featured on BuzzFeed? Follow the BuzzFeed Community on Facebook and Twitter!

And if you're looking for more gardening tips, check out: 23 Diagrams That Make Gardening So Much Easier and 19 Genius Ways To Use Ikea Products As Your Garden.

Advertisement

Connect With Shopping

Like Us On Facebook Follow Us On Pinterest