You Don’t need Many Gardening Tools for Container Gardening!

The great thing about container gardening is that you don’t need a whole host of gardening tools to run and maintain a successful food-growing garden.

You can spend as much or as little as you choose on tools.

Obviously, there are a few basic essential tools that you will need, and find yourself using all the time, such as a watering can, but virtually all tools can be improvised with substitute items – see the list lower down this page.

There are also some other tools that you may not automatically think of but might consider.

We’ve compiled a list of suggested tools below for you to consider, to help plan ahead.

Essential tools for container gardening:

Pots & containers (You won’t get far without these!)
Watering can
A small trowel or 3-pronged fork (using fingers can hurt after a while!)
Compost scoop – for scooping compost into pots fertilizer or feed
Seeds? – not sure if these are classed as a tool – but you can’t do much without them! So they’re on the list!

Extra Tools that might make life a bit easier
in no particular order…

A table to do your potting on.
Secateurs – like Scissors, only better. Gives a cleaner cut to protect the plants when trimming / pruning.
A dibber (thingy for poking holes in the soil)
Dustpan & brush and/or broom (potting can be a messy business)
Bamboo canes (if growing climbing plants)
Composter (somewhere to put your used soil?)
Green waste bags
Tool tidy or mini-shed to keep everything together
Fleece and bubble wrap – to protect plants from frost
Gloves
Soil sieve

Ostentatious luxuries! (but worth considering!)

Potting shed
Garden waste shredder
Kneeling pads
Access to a strong friendly neighbor for help in lifting those heavy pots onto the potting table!

Improvisation of gardening tools
A lot of the time, you don’t need to go out and spend good money on tools. Quite often they can be improvised with ordinary everyday items:

Item Improvised Substitute
Pots & containers Almost anything that can hold soil!
Dibber Pencil/broom stick / your finger?
Trowel Old cutlery
Tool tidy Cardboard box
Compost scoop Flowerpot, margarine tub, cut soft drink bottle
Secateurs Scissors