By: Chris Smith, Master Gardener Trainee
Are you trying to manage your garden weeds without chemicals? While I’m not endorsing any company, I’ve found a few hand-weeding tools that might help. And, possibly with tools for the task, you’ll see hand weeding as an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and not merely a chore.
Radius, 2-pronged, fork-tipped tools, and Hori-Hori Knife
- Wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). These include long sleeves, long pants, closed-toed shoes, gloves, eye protection, and ear protection.
- Avoid wearing loosely draped clothing or things that can be caught by tools when you work.
- Be aware of your environment for safety risks.
Short Handled Tools:
Japanese Weeding Sickle
- The weight of the tool is biased toward the front for easy handling
- Typically, the edges are very sharp and come to a point
- This tool works well on thick-stemmed roots
Half-moon Hand Garden Hoe
- Works beneath the surface to pull the roots of the weed
- Typically, the edges are very sharp
- The crooked neck attached to the blade helps to correctly position the blade
CobraHead Weeder & Cultivator
- Available in a short or long-handle design
- Blade is cobra-shaped and narrow for accurate digging
- Blade is steel and is meant to break up and plow through soil
Radius Ergonomic Hand Weeder
- The curved handle enables manipulation without bending your wrist to reduce hand and wrist stress
- Serrated, reinforced aluminum blade
- The hand weeder is designed to slide deeply, alongside the root to pop out the root
Two Prong Weeding Fork (AKA Jekyll Weeder)
- The two prongs are used to loosen the soil around the weed so that the root can be pried out
- Useful for removing deep tap roots
Hori-Hori Soil Knife
- Blade is 6-8 inches long
- The edge of one side of the blade is smooth and the other is serrated
- Useful for digging up and prying out weeds
- Useful for cutting roots and splitting iris tubers
Long Handled Tools:
Grandpa’s Weeder Tool
- Allows you to grab weeds without bending over
- Center the tool over the weed, then press the forked end into the ground
- Next, tilt the handle, which closes the claw and grabs the root so that you can lift it out
Hula, Scuffle, or Stirrup Hoe
- Works beneath the soil
- Push or pull the blade toward you at a shallow depth
- The movable blade uses a hula-motion to cut weeds with shallow roots that are close to the surface
Dandelion weeder, fishtail weeder
- Forked-tip allows you to reach under and in-between places
- Tends to make a small hole to access weed roots without disturbing close-by plants
- Good for weeds with taproots
Garden Seats, Kneelers, and Carts – can make your weeding project easier.
- There are many different seat varieties, including some with wheels
- Consider the height of the seat and the weight that you will carry as you move around your yard or garden
- Again, there are many different kneeler varieties. Some have handles, and some can be turned upside down to make a seat
- The design of the knee pads varies. Consider any physical needs you have that could influence your decision about the design and thickness of a knee pad
- Wheeled carts are useful for carrying both your tools and the weeds you dig up
- Carts come in a variety of sizes and weights you’ll want to consider before making a choice
- An example of a clean-up cart made specifically for gardening is the Garden Clean-up Cart. It is sized to hold an 11-gallon plastic tub, with widely spaced wheels and a design to keep the tub level
Tub Cart, Knee and Seat Pad, along with Grandpa’s Weeding Tool