How to organize gardening tools

Discover the best tips on how to organize garden tools, ensuring your gardening hobby stays enjoyable and efficient. Learn strategies for storing everything from shovels and rakes to gloves and large equipment, keeping your tools in top condition.

Gardening is a great hobby, and one where you can accumulate a lot of tools and supplies over time.

The only way to keep it from turning into a big disaster is to be intentionally organized with your garden tools.

Plus, storing them properly will make you a more efficient gardener – and help your tools last longer.

Today I am excited to share some of our best tips for organizing and storing your garden tool collection!

Assessing Your Gardening Tool Collection

The first step in organizing anything is to get a feel for what you have. I always recommend pulling everything out and sorting it.

If you have a lot of large tools, consider laying them out on the grass or in the driveway.

Immediately identify anything broken or no longer wanted, thank it for its service, and kindly recycle or donate it.

Then, take the remaining items and categorize them by group, such as:

• large hand tools (shovels, rakes, etc)
• hand tools
• pots
• soil and amendments
• seed packets
• yard gloves
• larger equipment

Obviously adjust these categories to include whichever items you have on hand.

Now, we can plan our organization based on the items you actually need to store!

Organizational Strategies by Tool Type

Here are the best ways to store garden tools, by item type.

Shovels and Rakes

Ideally, hand tools with long handles would be hung from the wall. Options include:

• Building a DIY wooden wall mounted tool organizer
• Hanging a pre-made Wall Mount Tool Storage Rack
• Placing them in a large container like a trash can or barrel
• Hanging on individual hooks on a pegboard or wall

Hand Tools

Hand tools can be stored flat or hanging. I prefer to hang them so you can see what you have and they don’t get buried, but that is contingent on having the wall space. Here are some options:

• Hang them on a pegboard
• Mount a strip of sturdy hooks and hang them there – add loops of leather or string to each hand tool if needed to hang
• Use a wall-mounted magnetic strip to hold small, metal tools – no hooks needed!
• Keep them in small bins, preferably either pull-out drawers or stackable bins. (This is best if they are infrequently used or out of season).

Remember to check on your tools regularly in case they need cleaning or sharpening. Always keep small, sharp tools like these out of reach of small kids!

Pots, Soil, and Similar Supplies

I have personally seen how quickly extra pots and half-used bags of various soils and amendments can stack up! If you aren’t purposeful with your storage, these bulky items can become a big mess.

Here’s how to store them!

• Our DIY potting bench has counter-level bins for soil and amendments like pebbles. It also has a lower shelf where we store extra pots, nested within each other!
• In the off-season, small extra pots can be stored in large, stackable bins to keep them out of the way and from being damaged or worn by the weather. Always clean and dry your pots before storing them for the season.
• A furniture deck box can be a great place to keep medium sized pots when not in use.
• Keeping opened soil bags inside sealed containers will help to keep out moisture and pests. I like to use one of these dog food containers! Choosing a container on wheels makes it much, much easier to move around.

Seed Packets

I can’t be the only one who buys new seeds each year and then realizes I already had some leftovers. Get organized with your seed packets so you don’t waste money on something you already have!

• These organizer sleeves fit in any standard binder and keep all of your seed packets easy to flip through!
• This metal seed saving box is cute and can hold a ton of seed packets – perfect for keeping everything in one place.
• If you have a large quantity of each seed, consider a storage case with vials like this one – it can hold a ton of seeds!

Climate controlled storage can prolong seed viability, so consider storing them indoors if your garage or storage space gets moisture and temperature fluctuations.

Yard Gloves and Personal Protective Equipment

Depending on what type of gardening and yard work you do, you might have light weight gloves, thicker gloves, ear protection, a face mask, and safety googles. Here’s how to store them to keep them in good condition!

• Pegboards are perfect for hanging small items.
• These magnetic hooks are great for lightweight items – especially if your storage space has magnetic walls or studs!
• Gloves and other soft goods can get kind of gross if stored in an airtight container even slightly damp. That’s why I like to keep them in ventilated bins for air flow!
• Consider keeping items near where you use them. For example, if you always wear noise cancelling headphones while mowing the grass, consider adding a hook near the lawnmower for your headphones. Sometimes, the best incentive to use safety gear is to just make it super convenient.
• Wherever you decide to keep your safety equipment, label it well so others can find it easily if they need it!

Seasonal Tool Storage

One of the most important parts of yard tool storage is rotating your tools seasonally so that you can easily access what you need, when you need it.

Think about how you garden and if there are certain things you only use in certain seasons. If that is the case, you will likely want 2 storage solutions for each item: 1 for while they are in use and 1 for when they are out of season.

This might sound like extra work – and honestly, it is – but just the act of assessing, cleaning up, and packing away your gear once a year can be really powerful.

This is a great opportunity to give your items a once over and check for any damage. It’s also great to give things a good cleaning every once and a while.

Sean loves any excuse to purge stuff, and pulling out all my extra pots at the end of the fall is a great way to identify anything damaged or just that I don’t want any more to pass on to someone else and make room for things I truly love!

Safety and Maintenance

The most important part of any yard tool storage is that you store everything safely to prevent accidents. You don’t want to be blindly reaching into a box and stab your finger on a sharp shovel. You don’t want shears in a place where they might be knocked off and bonk somebody in the head.

Keep safety top of mind when choosing a storage solution for each item.

Always keep anything that could be potentially dangerous at a height so that children cannot reach it. Keep anything that pets could get into stored away so that they can’t eat it.

Also, don’t forget to do regular maintenance on your tools. Just inspect them once or twice a year and take a minute to do a little preventative maintenance. This will help them last longer and prevent potential injuries or damage down the road.

Organizing your yard tools can be a big project. But once it’s done and everything has its place, you’re much more likely to keep it organized and be a more efficient gardener. Find the system that works for you, and get at it!