We said, “easier.”
“More fun.”
We didn’t say “cheaper.” Some gadgets on this list cost more than a Caribbean cruise. But if you’ve got money to burn and love technology and gardening, they offer a way to blend your passions.
Watering Wonders
When it’s 95 degrees with humidity to match, your watering responsibilities may feel like a Biblical plague. But Robby the watering robot can fill the gaps in your irrigation schedule as you sip on a fortified lemonade.
A robotic irrigation system in a commercial greenhouse.
1. Smart Sprinkler Controllers
These high-tech marvels connect to your Wi-Fi and use weather data to adjust watering schedules automatically. No more wilting plants due to over- or under-watering — the smart controllers are like tiny weather stations for your garden! Plus, they help conserve water, which makes you a good citizen, albeit a lazy gardener.
2. Self-Watering Planters
These ingenious containers feature a built-in reservoir that supplies water to the plant as needed, ensuring your flora thrives even when you’re on vacation. Imagine the relief of returning to flourishing plants instead of crispy casualties!
3. Watering Globes
Fill a watering globe, then gently press it into the soil near your plant’s base. It will slowly release water as the soil dries out, providing consistent hydration to plants. Beautiful and functional glass watering globes are like mini works of art in your garden. And because they keep foliage dry, they help prevent disease.
4. Drip Irrigation Systems
Drip irrigation systems distribute water in large areas or gardens with multiple plants more efficiently than watering by hand. Connect the tubing to your outdoor faucet and lay it around your garden, placing a drip emitter at each plant’s base.
The emitters deliver water directly to the roots, reducing evaporation and saving water. And with a timer, you can set and forget the watering altogether!
A drip irrigation system watering young cucumber plants.
Weeding Warriors
Imagine a gadget (or two) to help you win the war against unwanted plants without kneeling on damp soil for hours on end.
5. Electric Weeders
These appliances use a concentrated burst of heat to disrupt the cellular structure of weeds. Touch it and watch it die! Some models feature adjustable heat levels and ergonomic designs, making them effective for different types and sizes of weeds.
The best part is that they require minimal physical effort — unlike back-breaking manual weeding. Just point, zap, and let the electric weeder do the rest! Just don’t zap the wrong plants, so keep these suckers out of the hands of small children.
6. Automatic Weeding Robots
It’s like Roomba for your garden! Weeding robots patrol your garden, identifying and removing weeds without disturbing your lettuce and tomatoes.
Their advanced sensors and cameras differentiate between weeds and your garden plants. Mechanical arms or low-intensity lasers eliminate weeds without disturbing the surrounding flora.
Various models offer programmable routes, remote control via smartphone apps, and more, making garden maintenance almost effortless.
Robotic weeder navigating a field, selectively removing invasive plants without human intervention.
7. Kneeling Pads with Wheels
Prefer a more frugal approach? Kneeling pads cushion your knees while you work, reducing stress and strain on your joints. The added wheels let you move effortlessly around your garden without standing up and repositioning repeatedly.
Weeding, planting, and other ground-level tasks become less taxing on the body. The pads’ ergonomic design ensures proper support, prevents long-term injuries, and makes gardening more enjoyable.
Bug Busters
A pest-free garden is a delight, but maintaining one can be a struggle. These 21st-century widgets will help you turn uninvited guests away from the produce party.
8. Ultrasonic Pest Repellers
Ultrasonic pest repellers emit high-frequency sound waves that are inaudible to humans but unbearable to garden nuisances like rodents, insects, and even some larger critters. Place them around the perimeter to create an invisible barrier. They’re safe, eco-friendly, and effective.
Ultrasonic, solar-powered repeller device in the soil in a vegetable bed.
9. Solar-Powered Pest Deterrents
Motion detectors activate bursts of water, sound, or light when a pest is near. Solar-powered pest deterrents ward off birds, deer, rabbits, and other uninvited critters. Easy to set up and operate, they’re a humane way to keep your garden safe and sound.
10. Insect Vacuums
Squishing or spraying bugs is unthinkable for the soft-hearted gardener. Pesticides are hazardous to the environment. Enter insect vacuums — a more hygienic, humane, and eco-friendly pest control method. The portable devices suck up and store insects without harm so that you can release them into the wild (or your annoying neighbor’s yard).
11. Smart Traps
Smart pest traps autonomously monitor and capture garden pests. Some models send real-time alerts to your smartphone. You can monitor pests in church during a lull in the service!
The traps have cameras and sensors to detect and identify pests. They employ non-toxic methods, such as sticky pads or electrical grids, to neutralize intruders.
A pheromone insect trap hanging from a branch.
Illuminating Innovations
12. Solar-Powered Garden Lights
They charge during the day to cast a charming nocturnal glow. No batteries or connections needed!
Solar-powered garden lights can illuminate pathways and dark corners to prevent trips and falls, showcase flower beds and ponds, and add a touch of magic to your garden at night.
- Stake lights can line walkways or borders.
- String lights can be draped over trees, arbors, or fences.
- Lantern-style lights hung from shepherd hooks provide a rustic charm.
- Minimalist designs blend seamlessly into contemporary landscapes.
Solar-powered lights along a pathway.
13. Motion-Activated Garden Spotlights
These garden spotlights detect movement and illuminate potential intruders or unwanted animals. They can highlight favorite plants or areas of interest, lending depth and drama to your nighttime landscape.
14.Glow-in-the-Dark Plants
You heard that right! Some genetically engineered landscape vegetation can produce light, just like luminescent creatures! The plants absorb sunlight during the day and emit an eerie green glow at night. Party guests will never miss your home in the dark!
Clever Cultivators
Mary Poppins said it best: “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun.” So now we turn to the tools that make planting a garden child’s play.
15. Electric Tillers
Electric tillers can break up tough soil and integrate compost or fertilizers evenly, resulting in a well-prepared planting bed.
Manual tilling can be rough on backs and shoulders. Electric tillers require comparatively little physical exertion.
- For small to medium-sized gardens, lightweight and compact models are easy to maneuver and store.
- For larger gardens, self-propelled tillers with adjustable blades and tines are the way to go.
- And for fuss-free operation, cordless battery-powered tillers are convenient and quiet.
16. Garden Augers
These drill-like devices excavate neat holes in a fraction of the time. They’re ideal for planting bulbs, seedlings, small trees, or transplanting shrubs. Augers can aerate soil, mix compost and fertilizer, and remove weeds. They come in various sizes and styles, from wide augers for fence post holes to narrow ones for seedlings or bulbs.
Drilling a hole for a tree with an auger.
17. Seed Sowers
Load seeds into the hopper, aim, and pull the trigger to release seeds evenly along rows. No more spilled, clumped, or unevenly distributed seeds! Seed sowers (aka “seed guns” or “gardeners’ bazookas”) also work with larger seedlings and granular fertilizers.
18. Hydroponic Gardening Systems
No soil? No yard? No problem!
Hydroponic gardens use water and mineral solutions to nourish plants directly. They’re perfect for small indoor spaces and outdoor urban gardens. Hydroponic gardens also require less water than traditional gardening methods.
A small outdoor hydroponic garden.
19. Plant Sensors
Take the guesswork out of gardening with plant sensors that monitor soil moisture, light, temperature, and even nutrient levels. Connect them to your smartphone to receive notifications and reminders about your plants’ needs. Some sensors can even recommend specific plants that will thrive in your garden based on the conditions they measure!
20. Soil Block Makers
These pimped-out molds use compacted soil blocks instead of individual pots or trays for starting seeds. The blocks can be directly transplanted into the ground, improving root growth and reducing transplant shock. Plus, there’s no plastic waste from disposable containers!
Snap peas in potting soil blocks.
Trailblazing Tools
21. Electric Pruning Shears
Electric pruning shears provide precise cuts, reducing damage and preventing infections. They efficiently handle thicker branches, reducing strain on your hands and wrists. Some models have interchangeable blades and an extension pole to reach higher branches.
22. Robotic Lawnmowers
Let Robby the robot’s cousin take the grunt work out of mowing lawns. You can schedule these technological superstars to cut the grass at designated times or set them to automatic mode, where they navigate obstacles and steep inclines independently. They’re quieter than gas-powered push mowers and run on rechargeable batteries.
A robotic lawnmower fresh from the packing box. “Happy birthday, honey!”
23. Electric Leaf Mulchers
Down with raking and bagging! Up with electric leaf mulchers that vacuum and shred leaves, reducing their volume by up to 90%. The resulting mulch can fertilize your garden or contribute to the compost pile.
- Corded mulchers are practical for small yards with easy access to power outlets.
- Cordless models are better for larger yards or hard-to-reach areas.
24. Electric Pressure Washers
Once reserved for professional cleaners, electric pressure washers have made their imprint on suburbia. Their high-pressure jets blast dirt and grime from patios, decks, driveways, and outdoor furniture. They can also strip paint or prep surfaces for painting.
Power spraying a deck for the ultimate clean.
25. Ratcheting Pruning Shears
These special pruners have a ratcheting mechanism that makes cutting thicker branches easier. Instead of squeezing the handles with all your might, you can engage the ratchet to make multiple smaller, precise cuts.
This reduces hand fatigue and boosts your cutting power by up to 300%. Ratcheting pruners are a Godsend for gardeners with arthritic or weak hands.
26. Multi-Tool Garden Gloves
Why carry around multiple tools when you can have everything you need at your fingertips? Multi-tool garden gloves combine several essential gardening tools into one convenient design.
They often feature built-in claws for digging, planting, and raking. Some models include pruning shears, mini saws, and even bottle openers integrated into the fingertips. Imagine Edward Scissorhands as a Swiss Army knife, and you’re getting the picture.
27. Telescopic Pole Saws
These convenient cutters extend your reach, enabling safe and efficient pruning of high branches without ladders. They come with various blades (sometimes interchangeable), and their adjustable length simplifies the task of trimming dense tree canopies and overhanging limbs.
No more excuses! You now have everything you need to maintain the health and shape of your garden’s trees and shrubs.
Trimming back a conifer tree with a telescoping saw.
Harvesting Helpers
28. Ergonomic Harvesting Tools
Repetitive motions and awkward positions lead to fatigue and potential injuries. Ergonomic harvesting tools minimize hand and wrist movements and enable a more natural grip.
- Padded handles provide extra cushioning, relieving pressure points and enhancing grip.
- Scissor mechanisms may incorporate spring-loaded actions that reduce hand strain.
- Long-reach harvesters extend your reach without you having to stretch or bend.
29. Fruit Pickers
Lightweight, telescoping fruit pickers collect and cushion the harvest. Attach the picker to a pole, and you can snag fruit from high branches without damaging them (or yourself).
Some models allow for one-handed operation, freeing your other hand to hold onto the pole or support yourself on a ladder.
Freshly picked citrus fruit.
30. Berry Combs
Berry combs are designed to harvest without damaging the delicate fruit or plants. Their teeth comb through the branches, plucking ripe berries and dropping them in an attached collection bin.
Blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and boysenberries grow on prickly shrubs, so your hands will thank you for purchasing a device that does the painful part of picking for you.
A berry comb with freshly harvested blueberries.
31. Electric Garden Carts
Take a Radio Flyer wagon and trick it out with an electric motor, variable speed controls, and a braking system. Now, you have an electric garden cart to haul heavy loads of soil, mulch, plants, and equipment. These versatile yard buggies are invaluable for gardeners with physical limitations or large spreads.
Other Noteworthy Gadgets
- Kneeling scooters transform a kneeling pad into a sitting scooter on wheels, allowing you to move around your garden without getting up and down repeatedly.
- Automatic composters reduce composting time from months to weeks. They maintain ideal temperature, moisture, and airflow levels in their dedicated chambers, expediting the breakdown of organic matter.
- Soil moisture meters measure moisture levels in the soil to help you determine when to water your plants. No more guesswork or over/under watering!
- Singing Sprinklers: Okay, they don’t sing or talk (yet), but these “smart” sprinklers hook up to your garden hose and use sensors and algorithms to determine the optimal watering schedule for your plants. By automating your irrigation system, they save water, time, and money.
FAQs: More about Gardening Gadgets
Q: Can robotic lawnmowers handle complex garden layouts with lots of obstacles?
They’re equipped with advanced sensors and mapping technology to navigate complex garden layouts, including those with numerous obstacles. They can detect and maneuver around objects like trees, flower beds, and garden furniture. Many models let you create virtual boundaries to ensure the mower stays within a specific area.
Q: Are electric leaf mulchers noisy?
They’re quieter than gas-powered models, making them a good choice for residential areas where noise might be a concern. However, we still advise wearing hearing protection during extended use.
Q: How do I clean and maintain an electric pressure washer?
After each use:
- Flush the system with clean water to remove any detergent residues.
- Check and clean the nozzle tips regularly to prevent clogging.
- Store the washer in a dry, frost-free location to avoid damage to the components.
Q: Can ratcheting pruning shears be used on all types of plants?
Ratcheting pruning shears work best on woody and thicker branches but are versatile enough to work on various plants. Always use the appropriate size and type of shears for the plant you’re pruning.
Q: Are multi-tool garden gloves comfortable to wear for long gardening sessions?
Most multi-tool garden gloves are ergonomically designed. However, the fit and comfort can vary between brands. Try on several different pairs before you buy.
Q: How do fruit pickers prevent damage to fruit?
Fruit pickers often have padded or cushioned baskets and gentle gripping mechanisms that minimize damage to the fruit during harvesting. The fruit remains in good condition, even when picked from high branches.
Q: Are berry combs suitable for all types of berries?
Berry combs are particularly effective for harvesting small, delicate berries like blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and boysenberries. They’re less effective for large or tough berries.
Q: How long does the battery last on an electric garden cart?
A battery can last from a few hours to a full day of intermittent use. The exact battery life depends on the model, terrain, and load weight. Some models feature removable batteries that can be swapped out.