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16 of the Best Gardening Tools on Amazon (No Green Thumb Required)

Now that we’re finally in the throes of spring, tulips and daffodils are popping up, cherry blossoms are blooming and seasonal fruits and veggies, like apricots and cherries, are in their prime. Even if you've been #blessed with a green thumb, however, you'll need a little help to grow your own. The best way to ensure your flowers, plants and crops are straight-up thriving this season? The best gardening tools on the market, of course.

Whether you're an old pro who's looking to enhance your collection or a novice gardener, we’ve got the lowdown on all of the most useful, durable and rust-proof options to add to your toolkit, all of which are available on Amazon. Read on to check out our top picks, learn about proper care and more.

What Are the Best Gardening Tools?

Although everyone’s collection will likely look a bit different, there are a few gardening tools that you should always have in your arsenal, including the finds below.

  • A shovel: A high-quality shovel will be effective at digging up dirt and creating holes to plant your seeds in, though there are many different types you can get. Ideally, you'll just want one that's a good size for your gardening space (for example, you won't want to purchase a 55-incher for an extra-small plot in your backyard). The shovel you choose should also also be made from durable, rust-proof material, like stainless-steel or powder-coated aluminum, so it'll last for more than a season.

  • A garden hoe: Should your planting area be of substantial size, you’ll definitely want a garden hoe on hand. These handy tools are designed to help lightly break ground in order to cultivate the soil and remove weeds. In the event that you’ll be expanding your garden with shrubbery, flowers or bushes, you’ll also want a hoe to assist with getting into that earthy soil.

  • A trowel: Trowels are slightly different from shovels. These slimmer tools can be used for a variety of tasks that range from digging to planting seeds, but they’ll be most helpful for getting into more narrow spaces, installing bedding plants and moving soil.

  • Garden scissors or shears: Oftentimes, with flowers, plants and vegetation, overgrowth will occur, which can lead some parts of the greenery to rot or die. Though it's part of their natural process, you’ll want to carefully cut away those portions that no longer serve the plant (and no, your normal kitchen scissors won't cut it—pun intended). Instead, you’ll want a sharp (but safe) pair of garden scissors or shears, depending on exactly what you’re cutting.

How to Clean Gardening Tools

If you're using your gardening tools often, they’ll likely get dirty, fast. Here are some tips on how to clean them so they last.

  1. Wash away any lingering soil. You can use the blast option on your garden hose or scrape off any caked on mud with a putty knife or plastic scraper.

  2. Soak them in hot, soapy water for 15 to 20 minutes. You should add about a half a teaspoon of soap per liter of water.

  3. Rinse and dry each one with a microfiber towel.

  4. Prior to storing your tools away, disinfect them to kill off any remaining bacteria and fungi. You can mix two cups of chlorine bleach with a teaspoon of dish soap and a a gallon of water and submerge them for 10 minutes. Then, rinse and dry completely.

How to Store Gardening Tools

There are a number of ways to store your gardening tools, but you’ll want to make sure you choose a safe place where they're less likely to rust. The most important factor is keeping them dry, so a spot like your garage, mudroom or storage shed, are all good options.

In some cases, you can just prop them up, while others may need to be hung. Shovels, for instance, can become dull if they’re stored with the blade on the ground, so you should hang yours up or prop it against the wall, handle side down.

How to Sharpen Gardening Tools

Edged tools can benefit from being sharpened with a coarse file. You’ll firstly want to remove any rust with a wire wheel or steel wool, then sharpen them against the file. A few tips to keep in mind:

  • You should sharpen single-edged tools on the beveled side only.

  • If you’re filing them, you should do so at an existing angle.

  • It's best to wipe the tool with oil after you’ve sharpened it.

The Best Gardening Tools on Amazon at a Glance

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15. Fiskars Seed Planting Trowel

Best Seed-Planting Trowel

Why We Love It: lightweight, easy to read measurements, rust-proof

This thinner trowel is ideal for helping you to create holes in the soil and place seeds inside. Its lightweight design features measurements, so it’s easy to see how deep in the ground you’re going, plus, they’re debossed, so they won’t fade away with time. Complete with a lifetime warranty, it's definitely a keeper.

$6 at Amazon

16. WORX WG050 Aerocart Wheelbarrow

Best Wheelbarrow

  • Why We Love It: 8 different modes, carries up to 200 pounds

If your garden is on the larger side, having a solid wheelbarrow on hand will be a godsend (who wants to lug all those bags of soil around?). And that's not all: This baby can easily morph into a yield cart, a bag holder, a dolly, an extended dolly, a cylinder carrier, a rock/plant mover or a trailer tote. It can carry up to 200 pounds and is made from top-quality metal. Genius!

From $180 at Amazon

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