Top 5 Must-Have Tools You Need for Raised Bed Gardening

Gardening is a fun and calming hobby. Many people go into gardening to connect closely with nature and focus on their well-being. It is a well-known fact that growing vegetables and herbs cultivates a sense of positivity in people.

However, the trend for raised bed gardens has gained popularity recently due to their neat and systematic structure. Raised bed gardens provide a better-growing potential for vegetables and herbs, setting the bar for healthy plants. But before you start dreaming of garden-to-table feasts and Instagram-worthy harvests, you'll need the right tools to turn those visions into reality.

This guide offers the top 5 essential gardening tools to take your gardening game to the next level.

What Is a Raised Bed Garden?

Raised beds are freestanding garden beds constructed above ground level. "Raised" means that the soil level in the bed is higher than the surrounding soil. The word "bed" implies a size small enough to work in without stepping onto the planting area.

Frames for raised beds can be constructed using various materials, including brick, rot-resistant lumber, landscape timbers, or concrete blocks. Beds can also be elevated for gardeners who want to avoid bending to the ground while working. DripWorks offers metal-raised bed kits made of high-quality materials that can be assembled in just a few minutes.

Raised bed gardens are best for planting seeds. You can grow a variety of herbs and vegetables in it. According to a survey, 86% of home garden owners have tomatoes as the most common harvested crop. The fun part is they grow best in raised garden beds! However, other popular options include cucumber, hot pepper, pumpkins, and sweet pepper.

Height of A Standard Raised Bed Garden

Ideally, raised kitchen beds are 16 to 18 inches (3.5 to 4.5 feet) in height. However, based on different plant needs, these heights can vary. The rough estimate for various plants is given below:

• Herbs and leafy veggies: 6-12 inches
• Fruiting plants and shrubs: 12-18 inches
• Root plants: 12 inches

Top 5 Tools You Need for Raised Bed Gardening

Gardening is a skill that is difficult to master without proper garden tools. These tools not only help you plant your crops but also help with long-term maintenance. So, here is a list of must-have tools to help you with raised bed gardening.

1. Pruning Shears

The first and foremost on the list of essential gardening tools is pruning shears. Also known as hand pruners, these are cutting shears for perennial plants, shrubs, or trees. In simpler words, they are the scissors for plants.

Pruning shears are used for cutting, trimming, and shaping plants. They help in the tear-free cutting of old and worn-out branches without harming healthy parts of the crops, like stems, branches, and flowering buds. This technique helps with quick healing and speedy plant growth.

Furthermore, pruning shears are also used to trim ripe crops from plant branches without harming them. For best results, use bypass pruners for flexible branches and straight blade pruners for fine pruning.

2. Hand Trowel

When gardening raised beds, a hand trowel is like your right hand. To battle all that dirt, you must roll up your sleeves and dig right into the soil—literally! A hand trowel makes that task easier for you. This small tool has a scraping plate on one end and a small handle to hold it on the other end. You can get a hand trowel in different materials like stainless steel, iron, or plastic.

A towel is a hand tool that has the potential to dig right through the rugged and solid layers of the earth. It is mainly used in following steps of gardening raised beds:

• Digging up holes and planting seeds
• Digging out weeds
• Potting new baby plants
• Transferring plants from one place to another
• Mixing fertilizers, compost, and other additives

3. Hand Fork/ Cultivator

The hand garden fork is ideal for loosening soil and uprooting weeds in confined spaces. The small wedding hand fork has five pointed tines constructed of stainless steel for excellent digging capabilities without bending. It is also great for aerating and turning the soil.

Hand forks are smaller versions of garden forks that work best in enclosed spaces such as raised bed gardens. They are used for scraping dirt and dry leaves from the soil. This cultivator can also be a mixing and scooping tool for compost, fertilizers, and mulch.

Straight-tongue forks are best for digging up rocky or compacted clay soil without disrupting the underground layers. It helps maintain the fertility of your garden bed.

4. Transplanter

A Transplanter is used for planting seeds and seedlings into planters or small beds. Its relatively narrow, deep blade is ideal for transplanting and separating perennials, planting and transplanting shrubs and small trees, and digging around existing plantings without harming them. The narrow, tapered blade enters the soil much easier than a standard shovel or spade blade, making it great for garden beds.

Easily plant seedlings into pots or flower beds, but also use it to slice through roots, remove weeds, and break up tough clumps of dirt. The multi-use transplanter is designed with a triangular blade and serrated edges making it easy to do multiple gardening tasks.

5. Wheelbarrow

Raised gardens often necessitate a significant amount of soil. The manual task of transporting and unloading such a volume of soil can be a daunting task, one that you'd rather avoid. Fortunately, a wheelbarrow is a game-changer in this scenario, offering a convenient solution to this laborious task!

A wheelbarrow is a versatile tool in gardening, but its true brilliance lies in heavy lifting. It effortlessly moves large chunks of soil that need to be deposited in garden beds. Moreover, it can be used to transport heavy plants, tools, fertilizer, and other gardening supplies. The collection of debris and garden waste can also be easily disposed of with a wheel barrel. This is a must-have for any garden.

The Bottom Line

Gardening is becoming increasingly popular as a hobby around the world. Especially with substantial experimental potential and DIY ideas, raised garden beds are becoming a new trend. This hobby can be more thrilling and rewarding when you have the proper tools and essentials for digging, weeding, and pruning.

DripWorks offers high-quality tools and drip irrigation supplies to meet your gardening needs. With three decades of experience, we know what you need to hatch that perfect harvest. We want to hear from you, contact us today for the best gardening experience!