As far as skills and knowledge will get you in your plant-keeping journey, nothing can give you a boost in efficiency like a well-purposed tool. There are tasks that skill and finesse simply can not suffice for, and this is where having a few key indoor gardening tools will help you keep your gardening sharp. These are tools that will round out your indoor gardening tool kit and allow you to unlock the most of your gardening potential. The particular focus here is on indoor gardening, since that is, of course, our specialty, and also an often overlooked gardening group in other gardening tool guides.
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Quality Pruning Shears
Shears have probably already come across your radar if you’re looking to build out your gardening tool kit, and for good reason. Pruning shears have topped our list since, honestly, you can’t get very far in the gardening world without them. Pruning shears are necessary to make clean cuts that won’t bruise your plant or create sloppy cuts that can lead to additional issues like plant disease. For most indoor gardeners, a solid pair of bypass shears should be all you will need, and this should definitely be the first purchase for an indoor gardening beginner looking to step up their game. Make sure you are getting bypass shears as opposed to anvil shears, which are better suited for bigger and drier branches and stems, which are far less likely to be encountered by the indoor gardener. If you find that you’re really only tending to smaller, green stems, and precision is your utmost concern, consider purchasing needle nose (also called straight blade) pruning shears or snips. Needle nose shears are less effective on larger stems but will give you a higher degree of precision in your cuts.
Thermometer/Hygrometer
Heat and humidity can make or break any indoor garden. Depending on the circumstances of your indoor garden, these factors may fluctuate, or they may stay fairly constant along with the microclimate of your home. Regardless, it is always valuable to verify exactly what conditions your plants are being subjected to, and given the relatively low cost of these tools, the benefits of this investment can far outweigh the costs. There are countless thermometer/hygrometer combination sensors available, usually between $5-$10 a piece. Adding one of these tiny tools to your indoor garden will allow you to quickly assess if your garden’s positioning, light source, or air circulation needs to be adjusted to allow for optimal growth.
Plant Stakes
Another tool that every garden needs are plant stakes. Plant stakes allow you to support your plant or guide its growth in an intended direction. Since the fundamental function of this tool is fairly primitive, the need for plant support can be met in a variety of ways. While there are a huge variety of plant stakes and supports that can be purchased, chances are, you can meet your plant support needs with two simple common household items: chopsticks and twine. Chopsticks alone can provide support for most smaller plants, and twine can be used to create indoor trellises. Creativity is key here, and finding household solutions will likely save you the need to purchase dedicated plant stakes.
Re-potting Tarps
One of the best and handiest gardening tools for indoor gardeners is the re-potting tarp. Having never met a person who enjoys sweeping potting soil off the floor or countertop, it’s probably safe to say that this is an essential tool for many indoor gardeners. These tarps are laid down to provide a surface upon which to do all your gardening dirty work. Afterward, they can be easily cleaned or merely used to funnel any spilled soil back into the pot. Re-potting tarps fold up at the corners and sides as well, so they form a dish-like effect that holds in water and soil. Re-potting tarps are also designed to fold up neatly, making them storable in small spaces.
Quality Organic Granular Fertilizer
Although not technically a “tool” per se, having a quality organic fertilizer in your gardening kit is as useful and necessary as anything else on this list. Plants can not survive without nutrients, and many indoor gardeners rely solely on their soil to provide everything their plants need. While a quality organic potting mix can get you far, most plants will need some kind of fertilizer addition at some point in their lives. Organic granular fertilizers are great because they release nutrients slowly and consistently to plants, and have very little risk of nutrient-burning them in the process. Having a good fertilizer readily available means that you won’t risk forgetting to fertilize your plants, and you can be there with the help they need as soon as they need it.
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