The 5 Tools Master Gardeners Swear By for Their Own Yards (They’re Perfect for Fall!)

You might be too busy living your life to get your master gardener’s certification, but that doesn’t mean you can’t masterfully tend to the hedges, flower beds, trees, and hanging planters in your own yard — especially with these five master-gardener approved tools, which will make the job even easier.

I asked a few master gardeners to tell me the gardening gadgets they can’t live without, and their suggestions will have you digging, pruning, and planting like a pro.

Both LeAnn Locher, Oregon State University Extension statewide master gardener outreach coordinator, and Carole Henry, community horticulture program manager at Cornell Cooperative Extension agree that the Hori Hori knife is a favorite among master gardeners. (And, fun fact: It’s also a favorite of Martha Stewart.)

“This sturdy Japanese tool has a sharp blade and pointed tip, making it perfect for digging, planting, transplanting, cutting roots, and even measuring soil depth,” Locher says. Henry loves that it’s stainless steel so it won’t rust, and that it has depth measurements written onto it for bulb planting — she calls it her favorite tool of all time. 

Think of this like a pop-up laundry hamper for your yard. Locher says this is a must-have for any gardener, as it helps keep things tidy and separate as you work. “This collapsible debris bag is large enough to hold everything I’m pruning or cutting back, has sturdy handles for easy carrying to the compost pile, is lightweight, and folds flat for compact storage,” she says. 

Plus, sticks and stray mulch will have a harder time tearing through its vinyl-coated polyester than, say a black garbage bag, which, by the way, is also not as reusable as this pop-up tote.

Jeff Wilson, state master gardener coordinator at Mississippi State University, swears by handheld bypass pruners. Their small size and steel blades are especially great for trimming anything delicate. 

Wilson especially likes them for maintaining intricate, “well-designed landscapes,” and he says you can really let plants “grow into their natural size and form” with them. 

Many gardeners already know that a good fertilizer is key to a healthy garden, but they might not know the best way to apply that fertilizer. 

Jon VanZile, master gardener and author of The Flower Garden Deck says a hose-end sprayer for a liquid fertilizer has been a game-changer and the key to giving everything a consistent coat. “There was a dramatic difference in my garden,” he says.  

Henry says garden gloves are an important tool in your gardening arsenal, and you don’t have to stick with basic cloth or rubber. Because it’s easy for your hands to dry out in the garden, you might want to try a glove infused with aloe vera or vitamin E to help protect and repair your hands as you wear them. Henry recommends this pair.