Choosing Equipment for Container Gardening

How to choose gardening tools and equipment you will need if you want to grow crops in containers

Jump to:-   Must Have  |  Helpful Additions  |  If you have the money  

The equipment you will need for growing edible crops in containers will partly depend on what you are planning to grow.  There are some items which will be essential, some which would be handy and some which whilst not necessary, may make certain tasks much easier.

To separate the wheat from the chaff we've divided possible equipment into three categories: Must Have's, Helpful Additions, If you have the Money.

NB   This section only deals with equipment and compost. For information about compost, fertilisers and chemicals visit our Resources section. For a complete list of garden tools and equipment including a description of their uses, visit the List of Tools & Equipment page where you can also buy most of the equipment listed through Amazon.

Must Have

These are the very basics without which you will have difficulty growing vegetables, fruit, herbs and edible flowers in pots. Click on the pictures for a larger view of each item. If you are planning on growing fruit trees or crops in hanging baskets, you will need extra items listed in the "helpful additions" section below.

Containers - from traditional flower pots to specialist strawberry pots: wood, plastic, terracotta, stone, metal: unusual shapes: small and large. You can even use unwanted household items such as old wellington boots - so long as you can put drainage holes in it, you can use it as a planting container. Don't forget growbags.
Hand fork & trowel	Crocks or Stones	Compost	Gardening Gloves
Canes and Sticks	Watering Can	Kneeling Cushion	Weatherproof Labels