27 Things For Anyone Growing Vegetables

Jul 11, 2023

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.

Hope you have a *really* good salad recipe on-hand.

BuzzFeed Staff

Promising review: "I use this on so many of my plants — indoors and out. Outside in spring, this holds iris blooms off the ground when the buds are too heavy for the stems to hold up. After blooming, it holds all the leaves back so nearby plants can get some sun. It holds my heavy monstera leaves up and the aerial roots close to the moss pole. When you give pothos vines something to climb up, the leaves will grow bigger and faster and this works so great for that purpose. Best of all-it somewhat blends in, and it’s gentle on stems and aerial roots. I will continue to buy this every time I run out. Absolutely recommended!" —Christina Johnson

Get it from Amazon for $3.98+ (available in seven sizes).

Made with a bamboo handle and powder-coated steel, it uses a simple lever system to made weeding easy. Grampa's Weeder is a small business!

Promising review: "I bought this tool to pull weeds in my lawn. I tested it today and it works great. Just like they show in the video. I pulled a dandelion out with a 8-inch taproot! I could not do that with my hands. This tool is well built with a heavy cast metal end on it. It has a long handle so I dont have to bend over. It will come in handy for pulling weeds in my vegetable garden also. I am very happy with this purchase!" —Ralph

Get it on Amazon for $39.99.

Garsum is a small business!

Promising review: "I started some seeds indoors and started to notice lots of little flying gnats in the soil. These sticky traps are great, they worked just as I had hoped. I have ordered my second pack. They are keeping the gnat population in check. My seedlings aren't overrun with these little nuisances anymore. I'm sure they will work just as well outside." —Amazon Customer

Get an 18-pack from Amazon for $6.99+ (available in three shapes and six different pack sizes).

Promising review: "The last time I weeded/mulched my yard I had a set of gardening knee pads that I thought were ok. I ended the season with a bit of a callus on my knee. As I started up this season, I misplaced the old and had to purchase these… they are SO MUCH BETTER. Comfortable, stay put, etc. I have only used them for gardening but would expect them to hold up in construction or other situations." —natron

Get them from Amazon for $29.99.

Promising review: "Have used this for about three weeks, watering flowers, grass and washing cars. Have used it almost every day in some way or another. It's very light, easy to maneuver, and doesn't kink. However, I think that's because I followed the directions on the box for how to unwind it for the first time. When I was first unraveling, it kinked in multiple places so I had to carefully unravel and lay it out fully extended before I even hooked it up to the water source. Has been kink-free ever since." —Sean Cotter

Get it from Amazon for $9.98+ (available in seven sizes).

Promising review: "Easy to put together, seems very sturdy, and looks great. I love that I didn’t have to attach this to the house or use any tools and it’s still strong enough to hold up the hose." —Angela H.

Get it from Amazon for $34.99.

Promising review: "Works awesome for my vegetable garden! Easy to use and set up. Saving lots on our water bill too!" —Kimberly

Get it from Amazon for $13.99+ (available in five lengths).

Promising review: "This is great for the garden. Keeps my knees out of the stickers and the padding is very comfortable, helps me get up and down — easy to maneuver around the garden and in between the rows. Haven't tried sitting on it but i'm heavy and this feels very sturdy under me. Pockets deep enough for tools and seed packets, easy to remove and wash if necessary." —Cpt Dragon

Get it from Amazon for $36.99+ (available in three versions).

Moles don't typically eat vegetable plants, but the tunnels they create give easier access to the tiny creatures that do want to snatch your prized tomatoes! Anyways, my dad had been battling it out with a mole for MONTHS before he got one of these bad boys. His prized possession has always been his lush, green lawn, so when a mole started tunneling through it he was not pleased. After installing these stakes he was able to claim back his grass (and his pride).

Promising review: "I strongly recommend a Solar Mole Repeller for everyone who wants get rid of nasty, extremely destructive moles and gophers. I live in the mountains at 7,500 feet elevation where is really hard to grow anything. My small flower garden, very meticulously cared for was completely destroyed by gophers. I used all kind of home remedies hoping that creatures leave my garden, but non of those remedies worked. After putting outside Solar Mole Repeller my problem has been solved. Approximately within 50 yards you won’t find a single hole, tunnel or mound. Satisfied more than 100%." —Violletta Pawkik-Alexandrowicz

Get a pack of four from Amazon for $29.99.

Promising review: "These plant supports are very strong and will keep plants safe from strong winds that would possibly break the stem and destroy your plants. They also help support the plants when they have heavy fruit or vegetables hanging from them." —BT

Get a pack of four from Amazon for $16.99 (also available in an eight-pack).

Promising review: "I have several fruit trees (orange, lemon, tangerine, grapefruit, pomegranate, and persimmons) and so I decided to try out this colander/basket to make the job of collecting fruit a little easier. It does its job well and allows me to easily hose off the fruit after collection. I can’t fill it more than halfway with fruit, though, or else it gets too heavy. It’s also useful to tote the fruits to my workplace and share them with everyone." —Melody R.

Get it from Amazon for $15.95+ (available in four colors and two sizes).

The set includes a hand trowel, transplant trowel, and cultivator hand rake. Each tool has a nonslip ergonomic handle to make long hours of planting easier!

Promising review: "Purchased these since several other brands/types that I've used over the years just bend when any pressure from digging is done. If you want something that can dig in regular soil rather than potting blend — these are for you." —Joe in MO

Get it from Amazon for $20.80 (available in three colors).

Joyful Dirt is a small business based in Portland, Oregon making organic, all-purpose plant food since 2013.

Promising review: "I used Joyful Dirt plant food for my outdoor garden this year. So far, I am pleased. I like that you can either mix it with water or shake directly into the soil. My plants and vegetables look healthy and are producing. It seems a little pricey for the size of the bottle but it goes a long way." —Gen

Get a bottle from Amazon for $19.95.

Reviewers mention it's worth using this product with a water hammer arrester.

Promising review: "These timers have been around for a long time. My dad used them for his garden for years without any issue. The batteries last a long time in these things as well. I’m able to program what days of the weeks to water, how frequently (every 12 hours for twice a day), and how long to water each time. Then just leave the faucet on and you’re good to go. If you want to do another watering on hot days or use the hose for another purpose just click the manual button to trigger a manual watering no need to disconnect." —Taylor

Get it from Amazon for $37.16.

Promising review: "Used these for the outdoor herb garden in photo. They were a little smaller than I expected, but definitely fit my needs." —Katy

Get 10 from Amazon for $17.99.

Promising review: "These pruning shears are great. They are very sharp, and I feel like they were a great deal at $15. I have used them a ton since I bought them — it is remarkable how much easier it is to harvest my vegetables with the snip of these pruning shears. I have only used them when harvesting vegetables, but I imagine they would also be good for pruning, too." —Syd_S

Get it from Amazon for $24.95.

My Little Belleville is a small business based in Salt Lake City, Utah that sells kitchenware, stationary and other home goods.

Promising review: "Such a fun way to add more of a thrill into our gardening skills. One set was for my daughter and one for a friend who shares the green thumb phenomena. Adorable designs." —Barbara

Get them from My Little Belleville on Etsy for $18.40 (available in seven styles).

I have a similar one of these in my yard! I like the way that it showcases the vegetable garden itself instead of just digging out a spot in our lawn. If we have success with our veggies this year (fingers crossed) my husband and I plan to invest in a second planter bed next year.

Promising review: "This raised bed is very affordable. The bed looks thin and flimsy at first, but once it is set up, it is very sturdy even though very light to carry around empty. I also appreciate that this is a foot tall and not too shallow like some other raised beds being sold. This is an excellent product and I would recommend it highly for what you are paying for." —JT

Get it from Amazon for $49.99+ (available in two sizes).

Promising review: "I over-planted with tomatoes this year in the garden, and with the way they were still growing, I splurged on the 6-foot stakes. Strong and sturdy, these fit the bill well. The thicknesses differ slightly within the bundles, too, which is perfect for using them with different plants/stages of growth, too, as the plants need more or less support. After using them for a season, they are also still very strong and have little if any signs of weakening in the bottom foot that I'd pushed into the ground, which means I will be able to get multiple years out of them, even though my soil isn't the best draining — one of the best garden investments I have made in a long time for sure!" —JJ

Get a 25-pack from Amazon for $33.24.

Each pack includes 1,300+ seeds consisting of zucchini, eggplant, beet, pumpkin, butternut squash, cabbage, bok choy, cauliflower, broccoli, rapini rabe, celery, cucumber, kohlrabi, radish, bell pepper, cayenne pepper, okra, Brussels sprout, beefsteak tomato, and cherry tomato. Organo Republic is a small business!

Promising review: "I purchased it for my mother as a gift and I absolutely love the product. Huge variety and very affordable price! The package looks great and each seed bag is individually labeled along with a QR that takes you directly to all the information you need pertaining to that type of vegetables. Love it." —V. G

Get it from Amazon for $20.99 (also available in a a variety of 15 and 25 veggie seeds).

It also comes with a measuring stick called a dibble that pushes down the dirt to the correct depth for you to drop your seeds. The holes are color coded to let you know exactly where to plant seeds of different varieties.

Promising review: "Love this thing! I have been gardening for a while and this takes all of the guess work out of spacing. I used this for the first time this spring using the planting chart/guide and it has worked out perfectly. I have had little to no weeds (I mean come on, you're gonna get some weeds). Planting per the Seed Square will for the most part choke out the weeds, while promoting growth for the plants. I even used this to plant growing plants and not just seeds. Just put the square on the ground used the stick to mark the spot and dug a hole where it was marked. Simple enough. Would highly recommend. Super easy!" —Jennifer Geisel

Get it from Amazon for $29.95.

WoodNSparks Co. is a small business based in Montana making wooden garden makers.

Get it from WoodNSparks Co. on Etsy for $1.95 a stick.

Promising review: "I have been tearing through garden beds with these. I love them and use them a lot. They have been amazing for picking out rocks and getting to roots that inhabited my beds. As a 30-year-old adult I catch myself making angry dinosaur noises as I bury the claws in the dirt and pull up. Gosh darn, I love these these gloves. They are also amazing when you get that one itch you always get when you have gloves on...they make a great scratching tool LOL." —Toxic Fox Designs

Get them from Amazon for $6.36+ (available in three colors).

Rockin K Creations Shop is a family-owned small business based Lemont, Illinois.

Promising review: "Beautiful and very well made! They fit in my hand and are very comfortable to use. It looks amazing in my garden tote next to my other wooden tools!! Will purchase more as gifts!" —Kimberly B

Get it from Rockin K Creations Shop on Etsy for $19 (available in three styles).

Promising review: "I’m an aging avid gardener with a large flower and vegetable garden and I wish I had found this years ago. It saves me hours of time cutting back perennials, trimming small shrubs, and trimming tight areas that a weed eater won’t fit into. Well worth the money." —D. Dixon

Get it from Amazon for $29.99+ (available in three colors).

This device has two needles to ensure accuracy and doesn't require batteries. Just push it 2–4 inches into the ground and select what you want to test for. Yoyomax is a small business.

Promising review: "I ordered this a couple of weeks ago and it has proven to be a lifesaver. I sometimes overwater my plants and some are in pots with no drainage holes. So I wanted this to avoid those mistakes. It's awesome. I first tried my spider plant who should have been thirsty, it read on the dry side. I then checked with my fingers and sure enough it was dry as a bone. Then I checked my Pilea peperomioides, who I just watered yesterday, and read wet. I don't know if you're as concerned as me, but I feel very happy that my plant babies are getting the amount of water they need. This is a definite recommend. I'll be sure to send this link to a few plant-owners I know. Thanks!" —Samantha

Get it from Amazon for $11.99 (available in five colors).

Promising review: "I bought a new home in the woods and haven’t really gardened before. The previous owners already had a very impressive garden. Me being new to the scene, I wanted to learn as much as possible to keep up my garden beautiful, fresh, and healthy. This book has everything a first timer like myself could need. From plans, designs, sowing, pruning etc. I was also excited about the fruit and vegetable section, as I plan to grow my own. I definitely recommend the Complete Gardener’s Guide book. It just arrived today and I’ve been flipping through bunny earring pages all night. Excited to prune my rose bushes tomorrow after reading the section on them." —QueenJ

Get it from Amazon for $21.37.

Some reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.