What is your favorite weed removal tool?
gawdinfever Z6
2 years ago
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floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
2 years agolast modified: 2 years ago
cearbhaill (zone 6b Eastern Kentucky)
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoRelated Discussions
Your Favorite Strategies, Tips & Tools to Deal with WEEDS
Comments (33)Sounds like some form of landscape fabric to me and as others have stated, been there, done that, and wouldn't do it again. In a blackberry plot I might do it because of their growth nature, but in a perennial bed no. There is a belief that landscape fabric will permanently prevent weeds from spreading, but a couple of years ago at my parent's place we removed a whole section - about 30 feet in diameter. It was the most difficult thing a few workers and I had ever done. She had unknowingly planted a suckering shrub which started coming up through the fabric after few years. When we removed the fabric we saw the extent of the root system of this monster under the fabric and needed a backhoe to get it out! In essence, the fabric hid the growing problem underneath for about 10 years... If the fabric had not been there, the problem would have been noted much earlier and would have been dealt with much easier. My practice of mulching with organics to feed the soil which in turns feeds the plants was confirmed as being a good practice. :O) In the gardens, I mulch with mostly a combo of shredded leaves and UCGs - Used Coffee Grounds... For paths, I use sheets of newspaper topped with wood chips from a sawmill up the road. You can see one path behind the raised gardens it in the following photo....See MoreWhat is your favorite gardening tool?
Comments (26)A thread worth bumping. I've been through a few different garden scoop / trowels. Some are heavy, some are flimsy and most handle very little soil, at least for me. My fav is an old, I guess antique or at least vintage, flour/sugar/feed store scoop. So comfortable. Moves a lot of soil. This one is made of sheet metal formed and welded so the handle is hollow. Very light, very strong. Never seems to rust, don't know why. It is galvanized but at least some spots the zinc must be gone. The metal is thin enough that it's easier to plow thru soil than thicker trowels. But this is strong, no flex at all. Due to the shape I think, every surface is curved. I scoop soil, rocks, you name it. The inside of the scoop is smooth, no bolt heads or even weld marks so no place for soil to stick and accumulate. The shape of the scoop keeps the soil from spilling out until you want to dump it. And to boot these are surprisingly cheap imo. I think I paid $5-10 for this a few years ago at Zinnias at Melrose. But I see them on Ebay a lot in the $5-20 range. So about the same price as a crappy trowel....See MoreWhat's your favorite tool?
Comments (38)2 things I always carry with me when gardening: small anvil pruners. I never buy very expensive ones because I lose them frequently. Cheap ones work just as well, with the anvil blade. I think the bypass blade might be better in an expensive brand, but i prefer anvil blades in a smaller pruner. large black plastic cement trough. I found this when I was actually looking for a very large cat litter box. I paid about $4 for it and it was too big for any litter box liners so I started using it in my garden. It's big enough to hold clippings from an entire bush, weeds from a pretty large flower bed, and even thick and sturdy enough to hold about half a wheel-barrow's worth of garden soil or mulch. But unlike a wheelbarrow, you can pick this up and carry it sideways on your hip when it's full. You can also set this on top of a full wheelbarrow and push an even larger load in one trip. It has a nice sloped side that makes it easy to dump the contents into a compost bin or trash can. It's handy for loading up all the tools and things you'll need as you're heading outdoors, like a bottle of water, sandwich, trash bags, etc. and you will find you are constantly using it for something new, like mixing up special potting soils or collecting worms from the curbside (they breed in rotting leaves). It also works well as a huge dustpan when sweeping leaves off porch steps. I have two of these now, and recently saw an even bigger one ($7) that I plan to acquire in the spring. Next most favorite garden tool: Long-handled pruners. I have both anvil and bypass blades on these, and spend quite a bit more for this tool than I do for small pruners. Even so, they won't last forever (15 years of heavy use is the most use I've gotten out of a pair). Rubber handles are very helpful on these, but wood handles work ok, too, especially if you can find an old/used pair where the wood is already smooth....See MoreWhat are your favorite garden tools and products?
Comments (29)Include me in the felco fan club. I just love felco pruners. The best. I have an OXO trowel with a serrated edge (you can see it on Amazon, where I got it)that is marvelous for digging and cutting thru roots at the same time. I give it to my gardening friends as a little present, and everyone raves. I live in rocky terrain (CT foothills), so I do love my pry bar for exhuming rocks. And for winter, I love my USA made ice chipper. I have to say, I never buy tools made in China -- if you buy the best, they will serve you the best (just my opinion) lucia...See Moregawdinfever Z6
2 years agomxk3 z5b_MI
2 years ago
raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
2 years agoNevermore44 - 6a
2 years agoGargamel
2 years ago
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
2 years agoD M PNW
2 years agoI like a small pry bar. It works for digging rocks without bending and weeds. The side is flat for smoothing dirt.
gawdinfever Z6
2 years agorouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
2 years ago
gdinieontarioz5
2 years agoSusan Brooks
last year
rosaprimula
last yearlast modified: last yearTerry Haselden (7b, SC)
last year
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hydrangeahead Central WI 4b