Garden tools for container gardening are not much different than those used by any backyard gardener. The major difference is that container gardening requires fewer tools and fewer large tools.  Most of the garden tools for the container gardener will be small hand tools.

Basic garden tools for container gardening include a trowel, a cultivator and a weeder. These can often be purchased as a set. Ergonomic hand tools are also available and are especially useful for those who suffer from hand and wrist discomfort.  These ergonomic tools reduce the stress on hands and wrists.While technically not a garden tool, gardening gloves are a desirable addition to your gardening efforts.   Garden gloves serve to protect your hands from sticks and prickly weeds and most of all from dirty and grimy hands and fingernails.  You want a sturdy glove, but one that is flexible and allows easy use of the fingers. The problem with garden gloves is that many are too warm for comfortable use. The best way to determine which is right for you is to try several kinds. The other option, of course, is not to wear gloves at all, just  buy some heavy duty hand soap and a stiff nail brush.

Garden tools for the container gardener will also include larger tools for heavy duty tasks.  Unless you buy premixed fertilized soil for your containers you will need some tools to mix and carry your soil. Premixed soil is fine for small or a limited number of containers, but becomes fairly expensive if your garden plans include a large number of containers or many large containers.  You can use soil from last years containers, but it  is best to empty the pots and remove any debris, add fertilizer and compost and mix well. This will provide well aerated soil for your new garden. For these activities a garden fork with wide flat tines works well. You will also need a shovel and a rake. Not a necessary tool, but certainly a useful one is a simple garden cart or wheelbarrow. One can mix soil in the wheelbarrow and haul it to the pots or containers that need to be filled or it can be used to move containers from one place to another.

If you are making compost an aerator is a useful tool. If you have open compost bins, a shovel is all that is needed to keep the piles turned. If you have enclosed bin containers an aerator is an indispensable tool. It is extremely difficult to use a shovel to turn the compost in a container.  The aerator is simply pushed into the pile and as it is pulled back out wing like prongs open up and lift the compost along with it, thus moving compost from the bottom of the bin to the top. Turning the compost in this way simply speeds up the process of decomposition. Another helpful product is a sifting screen. These can be purchased from a garden store or ordered through Gardener's Supply Company. It is also very simple to make your own. Simply tack the desired size wire to a wooden frame and sift the compost to remove any large size matter that is not thoroughly decomposed. The finished product can be used in your containers and the rest returned to the compost bin to continue decomposing.

Other garden tools necessary for the container gardener include a garden hose and a pruning shears. A long enough hose eliminates the need to carry water and containers do dry out much faster. The pruning shears makes it easy to trim and prune the bigger plants in your garden.