As eco-gardeners, we put a lot of thought into choosing keystone native plants, watering wisely, and managing pests and diseases without chemicals.

Something that comes up less often, but is also important, is choosing the right equipment and supplies for your garden. In this post, we’re going to cover why that’s important, how to choose eco-friendly equipment and supplies, and methods of maintaining your tools for long-term use.

Why Go Green?

It may seem less important to purchase eco-friendly gardening tools, since they’re things you buy once and use for a long time. The real importance is in maintaining an eco-friendly garden, right?

Well, maintaining your garden with sustainable practices is certainly important, and can even help you to reduce your overall carbon footprint, but purchasing sustainable tools can benefit the planet, too.

Tools made from recycled materials gives materials a second life and diverts waste from landfills.
Choosing tools made from sustainably-sourced materials means that those resources were harvested responsibly.
Purchasing quality tools made from materials like aluminum and sustainably-sourced wood are more durable, requiring less frequent replacements.
Shopping locally for tools means nothing needs to be shipped, reducing the packaging and carbon involved in the process. If you do need to order from a site like Amazon, lump several purchases together to reduce the overall output. Little differences like these add up!
For items like potting soil and fertilizer, earth-friendly options help you stay aligned with your eco-gardening practice and grow healthier plants.

Choosing the Right Tools

There are a couple categories of garden tools and supplies to consider: things that you purchase once and use for years, like mowers, trowels, and hoses, and things you purchase more frequently, like fertilizer and seeds.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when purchasing those tools you buy once and use for years:

Consider using a manual reel mower rather than one that uses gasoline, or an electric-powered one, instead of one that runs on gasoline.
Purchase electric tools that can be charged with solar power.
Look for tools made from recycled and sustainably-sourced materials.
Choose durable materials for longer-lasting equipment.
Select equipment that supports wise-watering practices such as rainwater harvesting and catchment systems, as well as high-efficiency sprinkler nozzles and rain sensors for irrigation.

When it comes to the items you purchase more frequently, here are some considerations:

Make compost your first choice, before turning to fertilizers to improve the health of your soil and plants. You can choose to purchase compost, but you can also make your own.
Similarly, feed and nurture the microbes in the soil before opting for plant fertilizers. A healthy soil ecosystem produces the nutrients plants need, reducing the need for fertilizers. Soil microbes require carbohydrates in the form of sugars to do their job of making nutrients available for plants. To support this activity, we regularly feed diluted molasses to the microbes throughout the growing season.
There are times when fertilizers may be necessary, in those instances, opt for organic fertilizers, which are made from plant and animal materials, rather than synthetic fertilizers, which are made from chemicals.
Choose seeds and tubers that were grown sustainably and sourced ethically, and when possible, purchase locally. Look within your region for companies and organizations that sell ecotype seeds. Ecotype seeds are seeds from plants that have evolved to adapt to the hyperlocal environment, including the soil, climate, and other environmental factors.

Maintaining Your Tools

By keeping your tools clean and in good shape, they’ll last longer, requiring fewer (or no) replacements. Similarly, try to repair rather than replace if a tool breaks or needs a replacement part.

Take care to clean and disinfect your tools thoroughly before putting them away for the season. Vinegar or alcohol are natural alternatives to chemically-based cleaners.

It’s also important to keep mechanical tools well-oiled to protect against rust and corrosion. While WD40 is a popular chemically-based lubricant product to use for this, some natural alternatives include beeswax, coconut oil, and olive oil.

As well, be sure to regularly sharpen snips and pruners. I like to do this at the start of the new season.

We hope this helps as you purchase gardening tools and restock your supplies. Sign up to the newsletter to hear updates from the flower farm, including our upcoming dahlia tuber sale where you can source sustainably grown tubers to grow your own dahlias next spring!