Seven Tools You’ll Use in a Balcony Garden

There are so many gardening tools on the market, and the quality ones aren’t cheap. Worry not, balcony gardeners: you only need a few affordable tools to maintain a small space. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to de-clutter your gardening stuff, save dollars and space by sticking to this streamlined list of essentials.

Over five years of balcony gardening, these are the seven tools I use on a regular basis. I don’t feel I need anything more. They each perform an essential task. They are also compact in size; container gardening on a small scale doesn’t require large equipment. 

I’ve left out items that fall more into the supplies category (fertilizer, soil, pots, pest control, etc.) and gardening apparel (gloves, clogs, hats, etc.). Those are blog posts for another day!

This post contains no promotional content; rest assured I am not savvy or popular enough to make money from this blog. In a sharing spirit, I have included links to a couple hard-to-find items, but for the most part these are commonplace tools. 

You can shell out for the higher-end products (they’ll last longer), save on budget-friendly versions, or ask around for hand-me-downs. Or, subtly suggest them to friends and family always looking for the perfect gardening gift for you!

Watering can

Why you need it: Plants need water to live (duh), and unless you have a sweet hose hook-up on your balcony or patio, you’re gonna need a watering can.

What to look for: 

• A can with at least two gallons’ capacity (anything less and you’ll be making a ridiculous number of trips to the kitchen sink). 
• A sufficiently long spout to reach all your plants.
• A removable rosette for the spout that gives you two options for water flow.

Trowel

Why you need it: Digging holes, planting, lifting out plants. Also called a hand shovel or hand spade.

What to look for:

• Trowels come in a wide variety of materials and price points; any trowel will do the job. It just depends how often you want to replace it due to rust or splintery handles.

Hand cultivator

Why you need it: I debated including the cultivator because I survived without one for a long time. But now that I have one, I reach for it often to mix soils, spread mulch, and rake in seeds.

What to look for:

• Again, tons of choices here, and not a lot of variation in the day-to-day results. I like that mine has curved tines but that’s a matter of personal preference.
• Sometimes you can get a deal on cute two-in-one trowel and cultivator sets.

Scoop

Why you need it: I also survived without a scoop for a long time, but I wished for one every single time I had to fill a planter. If you’re a container gardener, you’re going to be scooping a lot of potting mix, and it’s surprisingly hard work. Save your back and get yourself a proper scoop.

What to look for: 

• A scoop should be deeper and larger than a trowel, with curved sides giving it plenty of capacity for moving soil, compost, mulch, etc. from one receptacle into another.

Pruners or snips

Why you need it: You need at least one cutting implement for harvesting, dead-heading, and pruning.

You probably don’t need pruners (a.k.a. secateurs) and snips. I have and use both, but I got along fine without pruners for years, and now that I have them, the snips are superfluous. It depends on what you’re growing; snips suffice for flowers, herbs, small vegetables, and houseplants, but once you get into shrub and tree territory, you need something stronger that will make cleaner cuts.

What to look for:

• This is one tool where I wouldn’t settle for the cheapest option. Dull blades and poor cuts will damage your plants, costing you more money and anguish in the long run.
• Anvil vs. bypass type cuts: This is a subject of hot debate in the gardening world. Essentially, anvil pruners work like a knife on a cutting board, while bypass cut like scissors. Many say that anvil pruners damage plant tissue more than bypass. 
• However, anvil type pruners are easier to squeeze, and comfort matters. If you suffer from hand and wrist pain, Japanese saw manufacturer Razorsaw (the very same who made my hand saw, below) designed a special pair of very sharp anvil hand pruners that are easy on hands. I got them at local Berkeley treasure, Hida Tool, and I think they cut like a dream.

Hand saw

Why you need it:  This might seem odd on a list of gardening tools, but the number of times it’s come in handy warranted inclusion. I’ve used it to detach stubborn roots from the inside of a pot, saw thicker branches off potted trees, cleanly divide the root balls of plants, and perform the occasional small wood-working job, like sawing boards into smaller pieces to make pot risers.

What to look for:

• Something safe, compact, and sharp. My carpenter dad gifted me this little folding Japanese hand saw a few years ago, and it’s the best.

Broom

Why you need it: If you garden in containers on a paved balcony or patio, you’re going to do a lot of sweeping, especially after a vigorous potting session. While most of us have brooms in our houses already, inside dirt and outside dirt are not the same. You need a tough outdoor broom that can handle the elements.

What to look for:

• A broom you don’t mind getting dirty.
• Tough bristles that will effectively brush grime off your balcony pavement.
• Depending on the size and shape of your space, a hand broom might be a useful addition or alternative to a full-sized broom.
• If your situation precludes you from sweeping debris right off your balcony into the world, consider a dust pan as well.
• If you care about the aesthetics of your outdoor broom, I invested in this one and don’t regret it.

Every tool a task

All my tools and gardening supplies live in a small standing cabinet I inherited from my aunt. With such limited storage, there’s no room for tools I don’t use. Hence this list!

You may have favorites I left out, and that’s okay; everyone’s garden is different. The point is that small-space gardeners don’t need to spend money and waste precious storage space on every gardening tool out there. Prioritize the tools you use often, that you enjoy using, or that perform tasks, even if it’s only once or twice a year, that would be impossible or exceedingly difficult without them.

Winter is a great time of year to take inventory of your tools, de-clutter if necessary, and give them a little TLC. Clean off debris, polish or sharpen tools if that’s your thing, and organize your storage spaces. When spring rolls around (it’s almost here!) you’ll be ready to get cracking.