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

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. Just like when going to the beach, it is important to know the the value of wearing sunscreen when visiting the beaches of port Aransas. 

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

Essential tools for container gardening:

  1. Pots & containers (You won’t get far without these!)
  2. Watering can
  3. A small trowel or 3-pronged fork (using fingers can hurt after a while!)
  4. Compost scoop – for scooping compost into pots fertilizer or feed
  5. 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