When it comes to gardening, weed maintenance is a crucial part of taking care of your plants and flowers. If left unmanaged, those pesky weevils can take vital nutrients from the greenery that you have spent so much time growing, and make your garden a messy mess. If you’re unsure how to handle your weed problem, we spoke to some gardening experts to break down some of the most popular weeding tools for every type of garden and gardener, plus simplified the importance of weeding. And with Amazon Prime Day currently underway, you can find savings on many top-rated weeding tools.
Here are some things to consider when purchasing a weeding machine
The form and function of weeding tools can vary from one another, in terms of their size and shape. Before you can choose the right weeding tool for you, you must first consider your gardening habits.
- The tool’s length: Weeding instruments are typically either shOrt-handled or long-handled. Short-handled tools, as the name implies, are better for more difficult tasks that require greater strength. “With the short handle options you have even more control to remove only the weeds and not harm your thriving plants,” added Rebecca Sears, chief gardening guru at Ferry-Morse. Long-handled tools, meanwhile, allow you to weed while standing and can cover more area at once — this puts less pressure on your joints but also doesn’t give you as much power while you weed.
- The type of gardenDifferent types of weeding tools can be used for different types and types of gardens. A Cape Cod weeder, for instance, is designed for tighter spaces, while a Pavement weeder is meant for getting rid of weeds growing in between or on top of concrete slabs or pavers.
- The size and age of the weedsSimilarly, different tools can be used to manage weeds at different stages of the growth process. While there are many tools that can be used to manage weeds, Winged weeder is better for younger weeds, a Spading fork can handle a weed with deeper roots.
The best weeding tools for gardeners
Best handheld garden cultivator: CFCT
CFCT Garden Hand Cultivator
Sears stated that a handheld cultivator is a great tool for everyday gardeners. “It is great for breaking up compacted soil and reducing weed growth [and] the three prongs allow for tight weed removal around smaller plant stems,”She explained. Bryan McKenzie, landscape architect and co-founder at Bumper Crop TimesThis is a great tool, he added “when you need to pull out several weeds at once.”
CFCT Garden Hand Cultivator
Best garden knife: Nisaku
Nisaku Hori Hori Weeding & Digging Knife
Several of the experts we spoke to said that gardening knives are great tools for removing every part of the weed — including the stubborn roots. Jeremy Starke is a gardening expert and the founder of Green Thumb Gardener, is particularly a fan of the multipurpose Japanese tool called the Hori Hori knife — compared to a typical gardening knife, it is larger and features measurements on the blade to help you figure out the depth of soil while planting. “Sometimes you have a weed that you can’t quite pull with your hand, so using the Hori Hori really helps to pry them out,”Starke stated.
Nisaku Hori Hori Weeding & Digging Knife
Best long-handled garden hoe: Berry&Bird
Berry&Bird Dutch Hoe
McKenzie suggests that a long-handled garden shovel (or a Dutch shovel) is better than a short-handled one for weeds with shallow roots. “A long handle lets you avoid bending over to pull out the weeds, while the broad sharp blade can deal with roots and stems of almost any diameter,”He said. “It lets you skim right below the ground and detach the plant from the root.”
Berry&Bird Dutch Hoe
Best Cape Cod weeder: DeWit
DeWit Cape Cod Weeder
A Cape Cod weeder “great for weeding in tight spaces,” Mckenzie noted. DeWit’s weeder is made from strong European ash hardwood. The head is steel and the brand claims it has some flexibility so it can be bent without breaking. Cape Cod weeders are designed to fit your dominant hand so ensure you order accordingly.
DeWit Cape Cod Weeder
Best dandelion weeder: Ames
Ames Forged Dandelion Weeder
If dandelions are your main problem, you might consider a dandelion-weeder, also known as a fishtail or dandelion herbicide. “[This is] an exceptionally useful tool when it comes to dealing with deep roots,”McKenzie said that the V-notched blade is made to separate weed roots from deep in dirt.
Ames Forged Dandelion Weeder
GREBSTK is the best paving weeder
GREBSTK Crack Weeder Crevice Weeding Tool
“Weeding in corners, concrete seems and in between the pavers is extremely annoying as most tools just can’t get in. A paving weeder is a tool designed specifically for these cases,” McKenzie said. GREBSTK’s paving mower has a 13-inch angled blade and can remove moss that has grown on top of pavers or stones.
GREBSTK Crack Weeder Crevice Weeding Tool
Ames is the best spading fork
Ames 4-Tine Forged Spading fork
George Bernadon, VP Grounds Management SSC Services for EducationAccording to, he uses a spading spoon. “for more difficult or mature weeds with deeper roots.” “I can insert the fork into the ground around the weed from varying directions to loosen the soil around the roots,”He added that the process is ongoing “aerates the soil around desirable plants.”He also pointed out that novices and experts can use the spading fork.
Ames 4-Tine Forged Spading fork
Luster Leaf is the best winged weeding tool
Luster Leaf WW100 Original Winged Weeder
Erik Prosksch is the senior project manager for grounds SSC Services for EducationWinged weeders can be found here “designed to take out weeds while they are noticeably young”Therefore “should not be used on weeds larger than a coffee cup in height or diameter.”This tool is more suitable for experienced gardeners. Prosksch pointed out that it can be dangerous to use incorrectly. “wipe out existing plants that you wanted to keep.”
Luster Leaf WW100 Original Winged Weeder
Why is weeding important
If you’re new to gardening, you might be asking yourself: Why do I even need to weed? A weed-free garden will not only look great, but it will also help your plants grow.
“The soil in your garden is filled with nutrients that your plants compete for – the fewer weeds in your garden, the more food available for your plants, making them more productive and likely to succeed,” Sears explained. “This holds true for sunlight and water as well. Weeds will compete for the resources that your garden plants need to stay healthy.”
McKenzie also says that weeds can bring diseases to your garden. “Similar to rodents and nuisance insects, weeds may transmit plant diseases and attract more pests to the area,”He said. “Every gardener should eliminate weeds as soon as they appear to prevent the larger problem.”
