Want to get organized for spring gardening early this year? Wait until you see my top five spring gardening supplies you need to get now.
I need to purchase garden supplies early. Procrastination is a huge problem for me at the start of every growing season. Because it is still a little chilly outside, I tell myself, “nah I can wait until next week to pick that up.”
But the problem with that approach is that all of a sudden you get a beautiful day and I have nothing on hand!
Therefore, I am organizing myself now through the ease of online shopping, so that when I am ready to work in the gardens, I have everything needed at my fingertips.
Not to mention, I just walked outside and noticed some nibbles on my tulips that are starting to break ground. Uh-oh! After checking the garage, some of my deer-proofing supplies are low too, so I need to get shopping for spring gardening supplies stat!!!
I am linking my top 5 garden supply list here.
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Where to Buy Spring Gardening Supplies
All of my must-have supplies for spring gardening can be found locally at nurseries, markets and big box stores and can also be found online.
If you are anything like me and procrastinate, online shopping at the start of the season is very effective. Some of my favorite places to shop for spring gardening supplies online are:
During the growing season, I am at the nurseries weekly and pick supplies up as needed. But for now, online ordering saves time and prepares me for that first beautiful day of the season.
When to Buy Spring Gardening Supplies
I recommend shopping for spring gardening supplies in late winter so you are ready for spring. For me, I typically do this in late February/early March. While it will still be a little while before I can be confident we won’t have another frost and I can plant summer flowering annuals, there is still so much you can do before then with perennials, shrubs, and trees.
So it’s still a good idea to have gardening supplies on hand so you are ready to go when the days are warm enough to get outside and work in the gardens.
Of course, depending on where you live your spring growing season may be earlier than mine is here in my gardening zone 6b New Jersey. I recommend checking the local frost dates for your climate zone so you know when you can plant warm-season flowers and vegetables.
But either way, I still recommend getting your supplies well ahead of time so you’re fully prepared – it never hurts to have them on hand!
Top 5 Spring Gardening Supplies to Buy Right Now
While there is a laundry list of things you may need this year in the garden, these are the items I recommend getting right now (or at least making sure you have them on hand) before the spring gardening season begins.
1. Deer Repellent Spray
As an avid gardener, I’m often asked how I prevent deer from devouring my plants. While no method is foolproof, there are a few precautions we can take to deter or at least minimize deer damage.
I implement a few strategies that work well for me and have given the same advice to my family, friends, and clients who have had similar success. One deterrent is using a deer repellent spray that coats the plants with a foul, terrible flavored coating.
And let me tell you, if I didn’t use a deer-repellent spray, I’d never be able to grow tulips here!
Deer Out
Every season, I go through several bottles of this deer repellent. It smells minty, does not clog, and works really well. Learn more about how I use this product in this post about my best deer repellent strategy.
After perusing my garage, I don’t have much of this left. So I need to place my order today! It’s definitely one of my most important spring gardening supplies! And really, it’s one of those supplies that I need to replenish frequently throughout the growing season, so I buy a few early on so I don’t have to make frequent trips to the garden nursery.
Plantskyyd
I am a newbie to Plantskyyd deer repellent but it’s now a go-to must-have repellent for me here. It smells AWFUL, temporarily stains the plan, and can clog, but it is systemic which means, the plant will take it in long term and will work through the season.
It also repels other wildlife like groundhogs and rabbits which are also a problem for me here. So this year, I’m adding this deer repellent to my must-have spring garden supply list!
2. Poison Ivy Products
You might be wondering why you’d need to stock up on poison ivy products for early spring before the plants even leaf out. But let me tell you, that every part of that plant has the urishol oil and you can get it, even in the middle of winter if you touch a vine. So it’s always a good idea to be prepared.
When we first moved to our home and started gardening the property, we did not have any poison ivy. Through the years, I believe it came in through some bulk-delivered mulch.
How does that happen? When companies mulch trees that have poison ivy vines on them, poison ivy will regenerate where that mulch is sited.
Having poison ivy washes, sprays, and scrubs on hand helps minimize and prevent the damage caused through contact with poison ivy.
Some swear by a good scrubbing of soap, washcloth, and cold water when they come indoors. That’s great if that works for you. In general, I do that. However, I prefer to use the following products when I know I came in contact with poison ivy because I want to ensure I got all of the oils off me.
Tecnu
I am really good about wearing gardening gloves, cleaning myself off, and looking for signs of poison ivy vines while I am weeding and working in my gardens.
When I know I have been in contact with poison ivy, I immediately, go inside and scrub the affected area with cold water and Tecnu wash. NEVER use hot or warm water because that will open the pores and allow poison ivy oils to penetrate the skin.
I have used the Technu products religiously when needed and they work extremely well. During the gardening season, I keep the Tecnu scrub in the shower. I highly recommend these products.
Zanfel
I am adding Zanfel to my list of go-to products because it is one step above Technu but a little more expensive.
Last summer, my puppy came in contact with poison ivy and unbeknownst to me, got some on her paws. Vividly, I remember her laying on my ankles on the sofa after coming inside one day to nap.
Two days later, I had the worst, full-blown case of poison ivy – it was terrible. It itched, it burned and I was miserable. I had no idea I came in contact with the oils and therefore, the oils remained on my skin for several days until it was too late.
I went through several products, including Technu, but nothing really worked. My doctor prescribed a steroid which helped but I was still miserable. I started researching and found this product Zanfel – it was the only thing that really helped with the pain, suffering, and healing process. I swear by this product and will now keep it on hand in case someone in my home gets a full-blown case of poison ivy.
This product was not well stocked in local pharmacies and where I found it, was more expensive than Amazon. I strongly recommend getting this product.
3. Garden Gloves
Not everyone wears garden gloves, but I prefer to use them when I garden because they keep my hands clean and protect me from blisters, cuts, scratches, and potential poison ivy oils. They’re one of my most used spring gardening supplies. And I’m not shy about purchasing a few different ones for different gardening needs.
When I am weeding or digging, I like to wear shorter wrist gloves. These super grippy gardening gloves from Amazon come two-in-a-pack for less than $10 and are breathable, so they’re comfortable to wear for long periods.
When cutting back roses or working in deep brush, I prefer to wear longer gloves to protect my arms and hands. I love these forearm-length gloves from Amazon because they are puncture-proof and designed to withstand even very thorny plants. They also have reinforced knuckles to keep your hands safe from scratches and cuts.
Pro-Tip: Keep kitchen gloves on hand for spring gardening tasks, too! Kitchen gloves you ask? They are great for pulling poison ivy. I grab kitchen gloves whenever I want to pull poison ivy because they are long, they protect my hands, wrists, and arms and I can easily dispose of them. Kitchen gloves are a necessity for this very reason.
4. Fertilizers
One of the most important spring gardening supplies to stock up on is a slow-release fertilizer like Osmocote or Proven Winners Continuous Release Plant Food. It is important to feed container gardens, annuals, and houseplants for successful growth.
Osmocote
In New Jersey, we plant annuals and containers around mid-May and one granule application of Osmocote at the time of planting feeds plants until August.
For me, it is so much easier to add the granules at planting as opposed to feeding them weekly when I water.
Bloom Booster for Flowering Annuals
However, I started using a bloom booster recently that kept my summer flowering annuals going and looking beautiful all season long. I noticed a difference with the profusion of flowers after using it, so of late, I have been using this bloom booster bi-weekly-ish after my summer flowering annuals are planted.
5. Spring Gardening Tools
No gardener is ready for the season without some tools of the trade. These garden tools are great to use while planting, weeding and pruning. I am a huge fan of Fiskars products but there are lots of great manufacturers out there.
What you need to purchase will depend on what you already own, but I recommend going through your tool collection each spring to ensure nothing is broken or in need of replacement.
Here are a few of my favorite must-have gardening tools for spring (and all year round):
- Hand Tools: If you don’t have one already, you need a set of hand gardening tools that will help you do just about anything you need to in your spring garden. This set is ideal for a variety of tasks including digging, weeding, loosening soil, aerating, transplanting, and more.
- Garden Shovel, Spade Shovel, Garden Fork, Garden Rake, and Garden Edger: If you plan to live your best garden life, you need good tools for working in the garden beds, spreading compost and mulch, dividing plants, and getting crisp clean garden edges.
- Fiskars Pruning Shears: These pruning shear steel blade shears are perfect for cutting flower stems, pruning herb gardens and more.
- Garden Kneeler: While the kneeler is not necessary, I use it ALL THE TIME when I am working in the gardens so it’s definitely on my list for must-have spring gardening supplies. It’s light to carry around, easier on my knees, and keeps them clean!
- Cobra Head Weeding Tool: It looks a bit archaic but the cobra head weeding tool gets the job done, fast! You can get right under roots and deeply embedded rocks. This is a must-have in your spring garden toolbox.
- Grampa’s Weeding Tool: If you don’t love hunching over when you weed, you will love Grampa’s weeding tool. It looks a bit old-fashioned but gets the job done. And the best part? You never need to bend over and get a sore back.
- Collapsible Bin: This is an optional supply but to me, it’s a must-have. Because this gardening bin collapses, it takes very little storage space, is light enough to get around, and holds alot of plant and garden debris. I don’t work in my gardens without it.
How to Start Preparing Your Garden for Spring
Eager to get out in the garden? When you start tackling your spring gardening checklist will depend on your climate zone, but it’s never a bad idea to make a plan for all your garden chores.
Some of the most important early spring gardening tasks include:
- Removing leaves and debris from garden beds. Don’t toss them though. Add them to a pile and make leaf mold.
- Pruning shrubs and trees.
- Dividing and transplanting perennials.
- Adding compost and leaf mold to garden beds.
- Testing soil to help you make informed decisions about what to grow and what amendments to add to the soil.
- Pull dead annuals and remove dead growth from perennials.
- Pull the weeds. It’s got to be done!
- Clean and sharpen tools if you didn’t do that before you wrapped things up in the fall.
If you are like me and getting ready for the spring gardening season, I got you! Learn more about preparing for spring gardening in these other posts:
- Spring Garden Clean-Up Tips
- Spring Garden Flowers That Bring Joy
- 67 Must-Have Spring Gardening Supplies
- Spring Gardening Hacks That Will Save You Money
- The Best Early Spring Gardening Flowers
More About Spring Garden Supplies You Need to Get Now
Are you ready to get back in the garden too? Are there any supplies you think are important that are different from my list? I would love to know more in the comments below.
Happy Gardening!
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