Gardening equipment is a blessing and a curse. It’s possible I spend way too much time drooling over the array of tools at my favorite garden shop. In my defense, this counts as “market research.” Right? How else would I possibly know about the weeding robot? It’s like a Roomba, only instead of vacuuming your living room, it roams your garden, pulling up weeds. 

I don’t own one, so I can’t tell you more than that. And honestly, I don’t mind pulling weeds. It’s refreshing to get out in the garden and feel the soil and smell the mint with the sun shining down and the songs of the birds in the air. I can almost hear a bee whiz by just thinking about it. 

Back to gardening equipment for tomatoes, though… 

Tomatoes do have some specific needs, and therefore, do need some specialized equipment. However, much of what you need to plant and tend tomatoes is useful in other parts of your garden. So let’s dig in.

The list of essential gardening equipment for tomato lovers

Egg cartons: No, it’s not usually on a list of essential gardening equipment, but if you plan to start your tomato seed indoors, egg cartons are perfect. And you can move your seedlings right into the ground without removing them from the carton. I might mention, these are the paper egg cartons I’m referring to. They’ll break down in just a couple of weeks, leaving the tomato root plenty of room to grow. Those plastic and styrofoamy cartons will sit in the ground for ages without decomposing. 

Small garden trowel: This is one of those all-purpose tools you can use for digging, mixing, weeding, transplanting, and fending off zombies until you can get to your full-sized shovel. 

Watering equipment: This is another piece of gardening equipment that you can use for more than just your tomatoes. Whether you go with a sprinkler system, a can, or a hose, you will need some way to water your garden. 

Tomato cage: That cute little seedling will grow into a big bushy tomato plant before you know it. To keep the leaves off the ground and to give the plant the support it needs, so it doesn’t topple over, you’ll need some type of framing to help it grow tall. 

Pruning shears: At some point, you may need to prune your tomatoes. You can read more about that here, but pruning shears are great for other plants in your garden, as well as your houseplants. 

Bonus gardening equipment that you may not “need” but you will want

Basil: No, basil is not a piece of equipment. It does, however, make an ideal companion plant for tomatoes as it deters many of the pests that will otherwise attack your tomato plant. Plus, basil is delicious.

Marigolds: These flowers add wonderfully rich color to your garden, and they also pull double-duty as pest deterrents. 

Gloves: You don’t technically need gloves, and I don’t use mine all the time. Still, they’re nice to have around if you have to do some major garden clean-up or if you want to keep your hands clean while you tend to your tomatoes.

That should be enough gardening equipment to get you started. There are always plenty of exciting tools to check out, but there’s also no need to spend a fortune when all you really need are a few useful tools. 

Oh! One last and VERY exciting thing you will absolutely need if you plan to grow tomatoes: Seeds!

Victory Seeds carries dozens of different heirloom tomato seeds like the Brandywine Red, Black Krim, and Aunt Ruby’s German Green. 

Or you can check out Seed Savers for varieties like the Green Zebra, Mortgage Lifter, or the Rosso Sicilian.

How about you? Any gardening equipment you can’t live without when it comes to your tomatoes? I’d love to get your thoughts in the comments.