The Weeder Tool That's Good For More Than Pulling Weeds In The Garden

If you spend enough time in your local hardware store, you'll probably find there are so many different tools that capture your attention while you're perusing the gardening aisles. Some can seem a little gimmicky, while others look downright dangerous if they're not handled carefully. With all those choices, how do you decide what are the most essential gardening tools, especially if you have a limited budget? Let's face it, when buying tools, you want to be able to select ones that are durable and will last for a few years, but also those that can fulfill multiple tasks in the yard. One common weeder tool, generally known as a hand cultivator, is one of those must-haves to put on your list because it can be good for more than pulling weeds in the garden.

Tiffany Selvey, House Digest's Garden Editor and in-house Master Gardener, spoke exclusively with House Digest about this essential tool which gets a lot of use in her yard and one she couldn't possibly live without. When asked about her favorite yard tools, she commented with: "I'd say about 80% of my gardening is done with a pair of garden shears, the garden knife, and my hand cultivator."

If you want to keep your tool arsenal to a minimum, you'll find that a high-quality hand cultivator, like this one from Garden Guru, is worth investing in according to Tiffany Selvey, who spoke exclusively to House Digest about her love of this tool. Here's why this is one gardening essential that she always keeps on hand when working in her yard.

"Of all the garden tools I have used in my garden over the many years I've worked in the soil, my hand cultivator probably gets used the most. Some of these handheld tools only have the forked end, but I prefer the style that has forks on one side and a flat hoe on the other. The flat end is useful for scraping the surface of the soil when a lot of small seedlings germinate at once, while the forked side loosens the soil to pull up larger weeds with the roots."

She goes on to say: "I don't just use my hand cultivator for weeding. It's also great for the beginning of the garden season when winter rain and snow has compacted the soil in my containers and raised beds. Loosening the soil like this only takes a few minutes, but it aerates the surface without having to get out the heavy duty tools." This is one of the best ways to prep your soil for successful planting. 

Like any good gardening tool worth having, this weeder has multiple uses. Speaking exclusively to House Digest, Tiffany Selvey goes on to explain: "The hand cultivator is also helpful at the end of each growing season when it's time to remove spent plants. I can gently use the forked side to loosen the soil around the roots and easily remove the whole plant without damaging any companion plants. This is also helpful throughout the growing season when my veggies start showing signs of disease or damage."

Selvey shared that both sides of this hand cultivator have extra jobs, including planting seeds. "I like to use the flat hoe side for digging small trenches to plant my seeds. I just use the pointy corner to create a long line in the soil at the correct depth for whatever I'm planting. Then, I sprinkle in my seeds and cover them back up." So, this is definitely one tool that's good for more than just pulling those pesky weeds out of your garden and deserves a place in your garden shed. And, if you're planting a flower garden, you might be interested in bulb planting tools that make gardening so much more convenient.