15 Gardening Supplies and Tools To Stock Up on This Labor Day

Labor Day is just around the corner, and now is the perfect time to stockpile gardening tools and goodies. Though the growing season may be drawing to an end for many, there’s still lots of work to do: mulching, pruning, and generally prepping for winter.

And really, spring will be here again before you know it. This winter, when you’re sitting around wishing you had everything you need to start seeds, but garden centers are still closed, you’ll wish you had replenished your supplies in fall.

Why wait until spring to prepare for next season, when nurseries are jam-packed with people and popular products are out of stock? Whether you need autumnal tools or spring seeds, we’ve assembled a list of gardening supplies and tools to stock up on this Labor Day.

Get deals on garden beds, grow bags, seed-starting essentials, and more with up to 30% off during Epic Gardening’s Labor Day Sale running now through September 9th! 

Grow Bags

Grow bags are a convenient way to expand your garden when you don’t have space for an in-ground garden or raised bed. The Epic Grow Bags are available both lined and unlined and in a variety of sizes.

Lined grow bags retain additional moisture while still providing air circulation to the soil. This means you won’t have to water as often but won’t have to worry about rot, either. Potted plants tend to dry out quicker than plants in the ground, so the moisture retention can really make a difference.

Epic also has unlined grow bags. The permeable felt helps extra water drain away to encourage healthy root growth. Plus, the unlined bags are available in more sizes. Small plants will thrive in a 5-gallon grow bag, while 100-gallon grow bags make great raised bed alternatives.

Lined or unlined, the grow bags that are 25 gallons or less are available in 5-packs, making it easy to stock up.

Raised Garden Beds

You really can’t say enough about the benefits of raised bed gardening. Raised beds give you complete control over soil composition, they extend your growing season, and they even make it easier to avoid pests.

These Birdies Metal Raised Garden Beds are made with aluzinc steel, so you will be able to keep using them for as least 20 years if not much longer. At 15 inches high, these beds are deep enough for most common garden edibles and ornamentals.

These beds have a modular design that makes planning your garden easy. Their rounded, rectangle shape also lends itself to the beginner-friendly square foot gardening method. Plus, they’re available in three earthy tones: slate grey, mist green, and light clay.

Seed Starting Supplies

Labor Day is a surprisingly good time to gather seed starting supplies. When late winter or early spring rolls around and you have the itch to start germinating, you’ll be fully prepared. The Epic Seed Starting Bundle has everything you need.

The bundle includes 12 classic 6-cell trays and eight larger 4-cell trays, as well as two universal bottom trays. The 6-cell trays are ideal for most seeds and seedlings, while the larger 4-cell trays are better suited for bigger seeds, such as squash and beans. With 20 total trays, you’ll be off to a good start, no matter how many seedlings you’re starting.

The universal bottom trays make it easy to bottom-water your seedling trays while keeping your setup neat and organized. Their universal nature allows you to use them with Epic’s seed trays or with trays from other brands. You can even keep houseplants on the tray to prevent them from damaging surfaces around the home.

Heat Mats

If you’re like me, every year, you consider getting a heat mat but make the mistake of winging it instead. Also, if you’re like me, your seedlings take forever to germinate, because inside temperatures aren’t warm enough. This year, do yourself a favor and get a heat mat. Future you will thank the past you.

The Epic Seed Starting Heat Mat measures 10 by 20.75 inches, matching their universal bottom trays. The mat is designed to increase soil temperature by about 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Increasing germination speed with a heat mat will have a significant effect on your overall seedling timetable. It can take seeds weeks longer to germinate if the soil isn’t warm enough.

Assuming you keep your home at average room temp, the mat will increase the soil temperature to the optimum range for tomatoes, peppers, and even watermelon. You’ll see seedlings sprout in no time.

Seeds

Once you have your trays and heat mat, there’s only one more thing you need: the seeds themselves. If you get your seeds now, you won’t have to worry about any of your favorite varieties going out of stock in spring or summer.

Seed bundles make stocking up on seeds even easier, like Kevin’s Balcony & Patio Picks and Jacques’ Flavor Guarantee. 

Kevin’s bundle is ideal for those of us who garden in smaller spaces, possibly utilizing containers on a balcony or patio. You can even grow most of these varieties in pots, such as ‘NuMex Lemon Spice’ jalapenos and ‘Royal Burgundy’ bush beans. You can even grow ‘Cherry Falls’ tomatoes in a hanging basket.

Jacques’ bundle prioritizes taste and reliability. These favorites are nearly guaranteed to impress, including ‘Cherokee Purple’ tomatoes, ‘Red Russian’ kale, and ‘Jimmy Nardello’ sweet peppers.

Vertical Planters

Whether you have a huge yard for gardening or do all your growing on a small balcony, every gardener is looking to save space and grow even more. Vertical planters are the answer. They’re an efficient way to grow a lot of plants in a tiny space.

The GreenStalk 5 Tier Vertical Planter has 30 total planting pockets and is only 19 inches wide. Thirty pockets aren’t enough for you? Try the GreenStalk 7 Tier Vertical Planter, which has 42 planting pockets and is still only 19 inches wide.

These planting pockets are 10 inches deep, which is enough room to grow plenty of vegetables, flowers, herbs, and even strawberries. Plus, watering these vertical planters is beyond easy. All you do is fill the top reservoir with water, and the planter distributes the water to all the pockets.

Self-Watering Planters

Of course, don’t overlook classic planters. Better yet, consider self-watering planters, which provide consistent moisture for plants even when you forget to check on them or go out of town.

Whether you love cultivating veggies in the garden or you’re a houseplant enthusiast, you can always use more planters. Self-watering planters even help you minimize your chores list.

These Ariana Planters give plants the right amount of water just as they need it. Not only does that prevent underwatering, but also, it prevents overwatering. They’re made with UV-resistant plastic that withstands the elements outside, but they also have a sleek appearance that looks great indoors.

The planters are available in 16 or 20 inches wide, and you can choose between the colors black, terracotta, living green, and burnt red. The terracotta-colored planters will fit seamlessly with your clay pots, while the neutral black pots match any decor.

Pruners

Spring is usually the best time to prune your perennials, but some folks prefer to prune in fall to provide a clean look all winter. Whichever camp you fall in, you’ll need a good set of pruners.

Quality pruners ensure that you get a clean cut without damaging the plant. They’re sharp enough that won’t need a ton of hand strength, making pruning a simple and easy part of your plant routine.

The FELCO 2 Classic Hand Pruner has been an industry standard for more than 75 years. These pruners have forged aluminum handles and hardened steel construction. They’ll get the job done every time.

The grips are designed for comfort. They’re ergonomically designed with a non-slip coating, so you won’t accidentally drop them. These pruners even have rubber shock absorbers to reduce fatigue and a sap groove that stops the blades from sticking together.

Loppers

Sometimes, when you’re pruning, regular pruners just won’t cut it. For serious jobs, you’ll need a set of quality loppers. These tools cut through bigger plant material without using all of your strength. 

Loppers are the tool for the job when you’re cutting down saplings or pruning bushes. Plus, they’re perfect for removing annuals from your raised beds. You can easily remove thick central stems at the soil level using loppers without disturbing the soil below by ripping out plants.

The FELCO 211-60 Lopper makes cutting through thick, dense plant material easy. The long handles allow you to reach further, while a hooked counter blade slices through woody growth. Despite their size, the lightweight aluminum handles aren’t heavy.

Like the FELCO pruners, the loppers have ergonomic, cushioned grips made with non-slip material. Shock absorbers reduce fatigue so that you can achieve a lot in one day, no matter how much you have to prune.

Trellises

Many common garden plants benefit from trellises. These structures save you critical space while keeping precious cucumbers and squash from touching the ground. Other climbing plants, like tomatoes and peas, want to climb and are looking for something sturdy to support them.

The Folding Epic A-Frame Trellis is a no-frills trellis that works perfectly in both raised beds as well as in-ground gardens. It’s available in two sizes, standard and large, so you pick the trellis that fits both your garden and your desired plants.

This trellis is made of heavy-duty galvanized steel that won’t weather over time, so you can use it for years and years. Its lightweight construction makes it easy to move the trellis around during the growing season. The larger model only weighs about 20 pounds.

This A-frame was also made with disassembly in mind. The process is simple, so you can promptly store your trellis when winter rolls around.

Plant Protectors

Is there anything more devastating than discovering something has nibbled your pepper plants to a stump? Or that your newly emerged melons appear half-eaten? These Critter Cages make it incredibly easy to protect your plants.

The covers are made of galvanized mesh that squirrels and other critters simply can’t get through, while the mesh design allows for light, water, and airflow. Other cages often have plastic coatings that often flake off into your plants, but you won’t get any flakes with these ritter Cages.

Put them over young plants at the beginning of the season, protecting them until they’re bigger and more resistant to herbivory. They fit over most seedlings and even over small heads of lettuce and cabbage. You can pop them over fruits and veggies, too.

Personally, I can’t grow pumpkins in my yard without some sort of cage or cover. The fruits never make it to their full size before becoming a squirrel snack. These Critter Cages can save you the trouble.

Fertilizer

Fertilizer can make or break your entire gardening season. Even if you start with nutrient-rich soil or compost, healthy, vigorous plants will get hungry again throughout the growing months.

Fertilizing on a schedule is crucial. It takes all the guesswork out of fertilizing, and you’ll sleep soundly knowing your plants have the nutrients they need. Otherwise, you’re basically waiting around to discover early signs that your plants are deficient and trying to catch up.

A natural fertilizer like this Down to Earth All-Purpose Vegetable Fertilizer is exactly what you’re looking for. Buy it now, and you’ll have it when you need it. 

The box has simple instructions, telling you exactly how to use the product for garden beds, containers, tomatoes, and even for trees and shrubs. Natural, organic fertilizer like Down to Earth’s fertilizer is scientifically proven to improve soil structure and feed beneficial microbes.

Straw

Don’t overlook straw, which is another garden staple that makes an excellent mulch. HealthiStraw’s GardenStraw is known for being clean and effective. One bag of this straw covers 100 square feet.

Straw makes a superior mulch for multiple reasons. One, it’s an organic material that breaks down over time, improving the soil. Two, the light color of the straw actually reflects the sun’s rays, while dark mulch absorbs them. This translates to cooler soil.

However, not all straw mulch is made equally. GardenStraw is a superior product without any wheat seeds floating around. It’s not dusty, and it’s divided into even, consistent pieces for easy and neat application.

Augers

The best time of year to plant spring bulbs is mid-September to mid-October, depending on where you live. And if you’re planning on planting a lot of new daffodils, then you’re going to want an auger.

The Power Planter Bulb Planting Auger and Power Tool saves you time and energy when planting bulbs. You can use it to dig holes for seedlings, too. The auger creates holes that are seven inches deep and three inches wide—just the right size for bulbs.

This tool attaches to most electric and cordless drills. Its powerful head breaks through the soil with little effort. In fact, it even leaves a bit of loose soil behind in the bottom of the hole, which makes it easy for new plant roots to expand into the ground.

Compost Bins

Summer may be ending, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop composting. You can compost your table scraps and appropriate leftovers all winter long with the TeraGanix Bokashi Kitchen Compost Bin. This clever product also comes with a bag of EM® bokashi compost starter to reduce odor and speed up the process.