Want to take care of your garden? Are you a beginner in gardening and don’t know which tool is suitable for which task? We have the essential hand garden tools for you to start your first steps and achieve the best results!

Tools for Soil Care

Soil is one of the most important factors for a clean, healthy, and well-kept garden. Taking care of it is therefore very important and can be achieved with the help of the right tools. 

Shovel

You will find both a small hand trowel useful for moving soil to and from pots, as well as for smaller tasks you need to do, and a larger one for work on the ground. 

SkroutzTip: For harsh winters with snow, choose a special snow shovel, to easily remove snow from the garden, yard, or the road in front of your house.

Hoe

The hoe, on the other hand, like a hand scraper will help you remove the grass from the soil, as well as get rid of weeds that may appear. Also, with a mini tiller or a cultivator you can aerate and refresh the soil, so as to prepare it for the new sowing. While, with a small hoe you can hoe and open furrows in the soil.

Rake

If you want to prepare the soil for planting, the rake is the right tool to help you do it. With a soil rake you can level and give the soil a uniform shape, while a leaf rake can be useful for removing leaves or even larger objects, such as stones or rubbish. Prefer a rake with a handle so you can use it more easily and comfortably.

Fork

The fork is very effective in harder soil. All the more so, a fork with a handle, which can be used in place of a shovel for tasks such as digging and aerating the soil, planting, and transporting materials. Its pointed and sharp "tines" make it ideal for use in more rocky soils.

Hoe

If, on the other hand, you need a tool for digging and hoeing, the hoe is the right choice. It is a tool that will help you manage your garden effectively, improve and maintain the quality of the soil at a good level, and prevent the growth of weeds. However, if you need a tool for tougher tasks, such as use in hard soil or for breaking stones, choose an pickaxe.

Tools for Pruning & Cleaning

Plant cleanliness plays an important role in the overall appearance of a garden, and the number one tool for keeping plants clean is scissors. However, depending on the type and the part of the plant you want to clean, you will need a different tool. Let's take a detailed look at what will be useful to you and for which task.

Pruning Scissors

Pruning scissors will help you cut and prune smaller plants and trees or shrubs. Carefully remove the parts of the plants that appear sick or hinder their growth. With these scissors, you can also cut and gather flowers to put in your vase. To make the pruning process even easier, you can get a battery-powered pruning scissors.

SkroutzTip: Choose the ideal pruning scissors based on the cutting diameter, depending on what you intend to use it for. Indicatively, for light tasks prefer scissors up to 19mm, for medium-sized branches, shrubs, or small trees one with a cutting diameter from 20 to 29mm, while for more demanding tasks and professional use, scissors from 30mm and above will be ideal.

Pruning Shears for Topping

On the other hand, you can get a pair of shears to clean the tops of your plants, which are in high places - such as tree crops - and shape them. In this way, in addition to grooming, the plants will be aerated, resulting in them being renewed and coming back to life. You can find both a top pruning shears for branches and leaves, a top pruning saw for harder spots, as well as a saw with shears, so you can do both tasks with a single tool. To reach even the highest and most hard-to-reach spots, choose a top pruning shears with a telescopic pole.

Hedge Shears

Such a tool will allow you to trim and shape lawns and shrubs. It is ideal for the grooming and care of these plants. You can find double-sided hedge shears, which make shaping easier, as well as single-sided ones, which have "teeth" only on one side of the shears and are suitable for larger surfaces. Also, with a hedge shears with a telescopic handle you can reach even the highest, lowest, and farthest spots without getting tired.

Long Pruner

A long pruner, while often confused with a pole pruner, differs in terms of precision and the distance it can reach. The long pruner is suitable for pruning tall trees - without the use of a ladder - medium height and medium diameter branches, as opposed to a pole pruner, which is more useful for shaping, taller trees, and harder branches. Usually, the length of the former can reach up to 4 meters, while the latter can exceed 4-5 meters.

More tools

• Also, if you want to cut wood, you will need an axe. Choose the appropriate size, depending on the size and hardness of the wood you want to cut. A splitting maul will help you cut tree trunks, while a splitting axe is suitable for separating wood and preparing it for burning.
• As an alternative for cutting branches or wood, you can use a saw, which offers a clean cut without damaging the branches or wood. A bow saw will make the process easier, thanks to its arched shape, which makes it more convenient to use.
• Finally, you can find various other tools for the garden, such as a dibber or sickle, as well as complete garden tool sets, which will make everyday tasks much easier for you.