Essential Tools Every Gardener Needs for Fall Cleanup

As the summer blooms fade and leaves begin to fall, now is the perfect time to clean up the summer debris and prepare your garden for winter. If you're a seasoned gardener, you know the real cleanup season is fall, not spring. It's when you must trim the perennials, cut down or compost annual plants, prune shrubs, and tidy up your garden before rain and snow arrive. This cleanup may feel like a big task. However, having the right gardening tools makes fall cleanup more effortless and less of a challenge.

The good news is that DripWorks offers tried-and-true cleanup tools to tidy your garden without much work. Here are the 11 essential garden tools to help you get the fall cleanup—mowing and pruning, leaf blowing, mulching, and gutter cleaning.

1. Garden Rake

The first essential tool for fall cleanup is a rake, usually made of steel or plastic tines with a wooden handle. This powerful tool helps you collect fallen leaves and debris from your backyard without bending over. Raking is necessary because if dead leaves are left on the grass for too long, they can suffocate the grass, attract pests, and create moldy patches in your garden.

Most gardeners have different rakes for different purposes. Leaf rakes have thin, flexible tines in a fan-shaped spray made of plastic or aluminum. They are used to rake lightweight materials such as leaves or plastic trash. Hard rakes have stronger tines and are used for loosening soil, removing weeds, and cleaning garden beds. Remember to wear gloves to prevent blisters.

Our Top Pick: GardenBee Stainless Steel Rake

2. Leaf Blower

Cleaning fallen leaves and debris can be tiring and time-consuming, especially when leaves are everywhere in the fall. That's where a leaf blower comes in as a handy tool. It is a quick alternative to raking, especially for large gardens. Gardeners can use a blower to gather leaves into piles, clear hard-to-reach areas like gutters and downspouts, and remove leaves from flower beds without disturbing mulch or plants.

There are different types of leaf blowers, depending on their manufacturing and function. You can choose between gas-powered, corded, or cordless battery-powered models based on your garden size and needs. The best thing is many blowers now have a vacuum feature to suck and mulch the leaves. It's best to use a blower on calm days, as wind can blow the leaves right back.

3. Spade

A shovel is an essential garden tool for fall cleanup. Many gardeners have different shovels or spades for different uses, available in various sizes and shapes.

Spades with a flat, stainless-steel blade are great for digging holes, making clean borders, edging flower beds or lawns, and lifting sod. A narrow, long, round-bladed spade or shovel is used for scooping and moving soil, piles of leaves, or mulch. Spade handles also come in different lengths and are usually made from alloy or wood, such as bamboo.

Though a bit of investment, a durable shovel will help you make fall yard tasks much easier and will stay with you for many seasons.

4. Trowel

A hand trowel is a small, essential garden tool for planting, digging, and loosening soil around plants' bases. It is also beneficial for fall garden tasks like planting spring bulbs, transplanting small plants or perennials, and removing old plants.

What should you look for when buying a trowel? Choose a trowel with a rust-resistant, stainless-steel blade and comfortable grip. Newer ergonomic handles are also a good choice.

Our Top Picks: GardenBee Stainless Steel Hand Trowel and Fiskars FiberComp Trowel

Pruning Tools

Anyone with a green thumb knows the significance of pruning, especially during the fall. As part of your fall cleanup, trim dead branches and prune overgrown bushes, plants, and trees. It will save you a headache in the winter. If you've spring-blooming perennials like forsythia or lilac, fall is the perfect time to prune without risking blooms.

DripWorks offers various pruning tools to help with this cleanup task. These lightweight and ergonomic tools allow gardeners to work for hours without fatigue.

5. Hand Pruners

Hand pruners are a must-have tool for fall cleanup. Gardeners can use them to cut unwanted branches, stems, and dead plants. These small tools come in different styles: bypass pruners and anvil pruners.

Bypass pruners look like scissors and make clean cuts on live, green stems and branches. Meanwhile, anvil pruners have a sharp blade like a knife. They are great for trimming dried-out stems and dead wood. Choose a pruner that fits easily in your hand.

Our Top Picks: Felco 160 Pruners LG, Fiskars Pro Pruning Shears, Fiskars Softgrip Large Bypass Pruner, Fiskars PowerGear2 Pruner, Felco 8 Ergonomic Pruners

Keep your pruners protected in our classic Felco Holster.

6. Loppers

Loppers are bypass pruners with long handles. They are mostly preferred for larger tasks like pruning hedges or cutting thicker stems or branches up to 2 inches in diameter. These long-handled pruners allow you to reach heights and cut branches and trees in a single squeeze. You'll love our Fiskars models! With durable steel handles and soft grips, these loppers allow overhead cutting without hand fatigue.

As with other pruning tools, keep the loppers clean and dry when not used.

Our Top Picks: Fiskars Telescoping Bypass Loppers, Fiskars 32" Powergear2 Bypass Lopper

7. Chainsaw

If you have a chainsaw, seasonal pruning and clearing are quick and easy tasks. This powerful tool is a fast and less tiring alternative to hand tools. You can use it to trim trees and cut away branches. Trimming branches becomes much easier after all the fallen leaves are cleared away, especially if you own a chainsaw.

Different types of chainsaws are designed for various gardening tasks. Gas chainsaws, with their strong power and long blades, are ideal for cutting thick tree trunks. Electric and cordless chainsaws, on the other hand, are lightweight and work well in residential areas. 

Our Top Pick: Arvipo MT32 Chainsaw

8. Pressure Washer

Fall is an excellent time to wash away the summer dirt and grime built on garden pathways, driveways, patios, decks, and outdoor furniture. A pressure washer is the best option for these cleaning tasks. It is stronger than a garden hose and uses 75% less water than other cleaning methods.

This powerful tool effortlessly blasts away mold, mildew, algae, and dirt from hard surfaces, giving them a fresh look. The good thing about using a pressure washer is its adjustable nozzle, which allows you to control water pressure according to the surface type.

Pro Tip: Always test on a small area to avoid damage to delicate surfaces.

9. Hand Weeder

A weeder is an essential hand tool for any gardener to handle small tasks during fall cleanup, like removing weeds. Fall is an excellent time to tackle weeds; many are growing and easier to remove before winter. This V-shaped prong is designed to remove weeds from the root with less strain on your hand and wrist. Its strong blade cuts weeds through roots, preventing them from spreading, reduces competition for nutrients, and prepares garden beds for spring. Some hand weeders from GardenBee provide extra leverage for stubborn weeds.

10. Cultivator

If you plan on planting new vegetables or flowers in your garden this winter, a cultivator is essential. It can help you remove weeds, loosen the soil, and aerate garden beds. Its large tines allow for maximum contact with the soil, helping you finish tasks faster.

Our Top Pick: Fiskars FiberComp Cultivator

11. Container

Use a reusable laundry-style container for garden cleanup. This sturdy, lightweight, collapsible container is excellent for leaves, weeds, and grass clippings. It has strong handles for easy carrying and unloading.

Our Top Pick: Fiskars Kangaroo Gardening Container

12. Wheelbarrow

In the fall, when there is a lot of clearing to do, a lightweight wheelbarrow is a real help. It can help move mulch, compost, soil, and other heavy materials around the garden. A wheelbarrow can hold a lot more than buckets and lets you move and dump materials without tiring yourself out.

The Bottom Line

Now, you have a list of 12 essential tools to help you clean up your garden this fall. Each of these tools, including rakes, leaf blowers, pruners, loppers, and weeders, plays its role in making your yard healthy and tidy. These essential cleanup tools will save you time and energy this autumn and the coming seasons.

So, don't hesitate to invest in durable and reliable gardening tools and get your garden in tip-top shape for the winter season.