Garden Picks and Trends -- Weeds In My Garden
They are the enemy of any gardener and every gardener, and weeds are certainly my enemy. whenever I meet my foe on my own turf, I see visions of future wrist stress, a sore back, and an aching hip, or possibly groaning knees — all waiting patiently to get their revenge.
This time of the year is a great time for weeding, not only because the heat and humidity is gone and the really cold weather hasn’t arrived, but also because growth in all plants, including weeds has considerably slowed down.
After giving it considerable thought, I decided there has got to be a better way. Then, I remembered that as in almost all problems the solution is partly in having the right tools. As a result, in a quest to beat my weed enemies, I recently compared an army of several weeding tools.
Here are three members of my weed army recruits:
The first weeder I tried was the Cape Cod Weeder (which comes in both left and right handed models). It’s design is a familar one adapted from the 19th century old gardening tools of our grandmother’s and their grandmother’s days.
The handle is made of durable hardwood and the metal of carbon steel, a prescription for a tool that will last a lifetime if properly cared for. I like the fact that as a weeding tool you can simply get under the surface of most weeds and cut them off at root level. Since the Cape Cod Weeder cuts both on the front and back stroke it is what is considered to be a “scuffle hoe.” The pointed edge at the end is useful too for nicking out weeds that are crowding dangerously close to your unsuspecting plants. This makes some weeding jobs fast and easy. Some gardeners even use it for harvesting certain vegetables. Another use of this tool is aerate and loosen the soil in small areas.
Size: The cutting edge is just under three inches long and the entire tool measures about thirteen inches in length.
Price: Depending upon where you get it, you can find the Cape Cod Weeder modestly priced between just under $15 to around $20.00.
My second pick when it comes to garden weeding tools is the Hound Dog Weed Hound. I call this my “dandelion lion” because that is what I use it the most for. As an old lady, the fact that I can stand up and remove weeds from my lawn and garden tickles me to no end. Any garden tool, such as the Hound Dog Weed Hound, that allows me to weed without bending, eliminates the need for expensive and unnatural chemicals, is a treasured part of my weed army. It also is useful for aerating the soil.
One of the features that I like is the fact that you can eject the weed very easily off the Hound Dog Weed Hound. It is well made and comes in a cheerful yellow (or green) color that makes it easy to pick out in my army of garden tools.
Size: The weeding portion is about a foot long, not quite thirty-six inches in height.
Price: Average price is around $25.00
Sometimes great tools come in small sizes, but don’t let that fool you. One hand weeding tool that is a must in my army of weed fighters is the Radius Garden Ergonomic Weeder. If you are in need of a simple weeding tool that gets the job done, here is one that is getting to the the root of touch deep roots in a hurry and efficiently, this is your tool.
This is a very comfortable hand tool designed specifically with reducing stress on wrists and hands in the garden. The Radius Garden Ergonomic Weeder also works for seeding, as it has a channel built into it’s serrate blade that has a secondary use for planting small seeds precisely where you want them to land.
Size: 2.75” x 14.75” x 3.625”
Price: Average price is $10.00 to $22.00.
If You’d Like To Know More!
The Find (a great place to compare prices of gardening products)
Hound Dog Weed Hound (and other great Hound Dog products)