On the hunt for the best weeding tools to help you get those pesky weeds in your garden, flowerbed, lawn, or landscape out by the roots and ensure they don’t come back? We’ve got you covered!
Read on to learn about the best weeding tools for your garden and all the facts you need to know about weeding tools, how to prevent weeds, and more!
Our Top Picks
Best Overall:
CobraHead Original Weeder & Cultivator
Best Weeding Tool for Dandelions:
Fiskars Grip Hand Weeder
Best Weeding Tool on a Budget:
Nisaku HoriHori Weeding and Digging Knife
Best Overall
CobraHead Original Weeder & Cultivator
Highly reviewed by both avid, veteran gardeners and new gardeners alike, the CobraHead Original Weeder and Cultivator holds the #1 spot on our list of weeding tools, as well as many other folks’ — and for good reason!
This weeding tool’s resined handle is praised for feeling sturdy to the point of being unbreakable, while the steel curve of the tool itself is rugged and unbendable even when tackling the toughest weeds.
In addition to being a standout among weeding tools, the CobraHead Original Weeder & Cultivator lives up to the second half of its name, proving itself one of the best tools on the market for digging, planting, cultivating, and so much more!
This great multipurpose weeding tool holds nearly 90% 5-star ratings out of its 2,000 reviews on Amazon, making it one of the most reliable weeding tools you could ever invest in.
Pros:
- This king among weeding tools is a versatile, multifunctional asset to your gardening endeavors, including digging, sculpting, weeding, and more.
Cons:
- When tackling weeds with a tap root or any sort of angled root, the CobraHead Original Weeder & Cultivator will often seek the path of least resistance around the root, making it a challenge on these thicker, tougher roots.
Best Weeding Tool for Dandelions
Fiskars Grip Hand Weeder
If you’re dealing with dandelions, thistles, and other invasive weed types that just won’t quit, then the Fiskars Grip Hand Weeder may be the best pick for you among weeding tools! The unique, ergonomic shape and brilliant design of the Fiskars Grip Hand Weeder allows it to access the tap root, which serves as an anchor for weeds like dandelions and makes them so notoriously difficult to fully uproot.
Specific among weeding tools for being designed with these pesky, stubborn tap roots in mind, the Fiskars Grip Hand Weeder maneuvers easily with its forked tip to grip the lengthy dandelion roots and pull them completely free, preventing them from regrowing in the same spot with those small, hidden root sprouts!
Pros:
- Notable among weeding tools for its specific attention to removing tap roots and preventing the return of stubborn dandelion growth. The soft grip and shape of the Fiskars Grip Hand Weeder also makes it ideal for gardeners struggling with arthritis and other joint issues.
Cons:
- Some gardeners have found that their Fiskars Grip Hand Weeder did not have a long life, with the metal warping or breaking after extensive use.
Best Weeding Tool on a Budget
Nisaku HoriHori Weeding and Digging Knife
Holding 90% 5-star reviews out of over 5,000 reviews overall, the Nisaku HoriHori Weeding and Digging Knife is one of those weeding tools that certainly turns heads! Made of authentic Japanese stainless steel, with a sturdy wooden handle and a serrated edge that can saw right through even the thickest weed roots, this soil knife is a great weeding tool for your gardening collection!
And best of all, for all its assets, this is also an incredibly affordable weeding tool, generally ranging between $15 to $25 – a worthwhile investment on a tool you’re likely to use for many, many gardening seasons to come.
Whether you’re cutting through larger weeds or using the flat portion of its durable blade to pop them loose, a soil knife like the Nisaku HoriHori Weeding and Digging Knife is noteworthy among weeding tools and will help make the process of uprooting weeds by hand so much easier!
Pros:
- Reviews have lauded this knife among weeding tools for its durability, strength, and high quality, especially in light of its lower cost.
Cons:
- This is an extremely sharp weeding tool, and the blade does not have a grip guard or crossguard, making for a greater hazard of cutting yourself if you don’t wield it carefully.
Best Weeding Tool for Weeds with Thick Stem
MerceHygea Weeding Sickle
Some weeds have stems so thick, they require special weeding tools to tackle. The MerceHygea Weeding Sickle is one of those weeding tools!
This is a fantastic weeding tool for tackling overgrown brush and other thick, dense growth, with a crescent blade that’s forged with an extremely sharp edge. This make it the perfect tool for taking down those thicker stalks quickly and easily!
Pros:
- Praised among weeding tools for its ability to hack down weeds even above 6 feet tall, as well as for its sturdiness to help break up soil, the MerceHygea Weeding Sickle is a truly valuable addition to any weeding tools collection!
Cons:
- Some consumers have taken issue with the tool’s shorter, rough cut handle and have found the sickle to rust more quickly than they would like, despite placing it in adequate storage conditions.
Why Weeding Is Important
When you’ve put effort into cultivating a lawn, landscape, flowerbed, or garden, the last thing you want is for it to be overrun by weeds! An abundance of weeds will deplete the soil of precious nutrients, choke the plants and flowers you do want in the mix, and can even attract unwanted animal and insect visitors.
The proper weeding tools will help ensure you keep the weed population under control and maximize the life and use of your garden. We’ll now share six of our favorite weeding tools to help you beat weeds!
Different Types of Weeding Tools
There are lots of different types of weeding tools out there, each one serving a slightly different but equally valuable purpose in keeping your garden weed-free and thriving! To learn more about different sorts of weeding tools, visit our pages below and brush up on your knowledge to ensure you have the best weeding tools on hand for keeping your garden and landscape in prime shape:
- Hand Weeding Tools/Hand Weeder
- Long Handled Weeding Tools
- Weeding Hoes
- Garden Stool
- Weeding Knife
- Crevice/Crack Weeder
- Dandelion Digger
Things to Consider When Shopping for Weeding Tools
There are a few important things to bear in mind as you make your selection of weeding tools:
The Length of the Weeding Tool
Different types of weeding tools come in different sizes and lengths, and weeding tools that are a good fit for one style of garden may not be best in another! For example, if you are tackling fresh weeds with shallower roots, you will not likely need a long weeding tool.
If your garden has some established weeds that have really set in, you will likely need to go deeper in order to remove the entirety of the root system and stop the weed in its tracks.
Be mindful of how deeply set the roots might be, the soil composition in your garden, and other such traits to ensure your weeding tools can do the full job and remove the weeds entirely!
The Type of Garden You’re Weeding
The size and style of your garden-whether you have a large or small garden, what you’re growing in it, whether it’s contained or wild, etc.-will all have an impact on the weeding tools you should choose. If you have a smaller backyard vegetable garden, for example, a hand weeding tool may be best, whereas a larger garden established near trees may require a longer and larger weeding tool. A flower garden frequently overrun with dandelions may also require a different weeding tool in order to address its unique challenges.
Always make sure you’re purchasing weeding tools that are the proper fit for your style of garden!
Age and Size of Weeds You’re Tackling
Older and larger weeds that are well rooted and set in their ways will often not respond well to weeding tools meant for tackling small, fresh shoots right as they crop up. When choosing your weeding tools, be sure to bear in mind how established these weeds are and how larger they’ve grown, so that you can be sure to choose weeding tools capable of fully removing the growth all the way down to the root.
The Comfort and Durability of Your Weeding Tools
Chances are, you’re going to spend a good chunk of time weeding your garden season by season, so you want to be sure to choose weeding tools that are not just effective, but also comfortable to use and long-lasting so that you don’t have to spend more money to replace them every year. In particular, if you suffer from any joint or muscle aches or conditions such as arthritis, you want to pay careful attention to the make and design of your weeding tools, making sure they have a comfortable grip and maneuverable shape; you may also consider using standing tools if kneeling for long periods of time is untenable to your physical condition.
How to Prevent Weeds In Your Garden
Once you and your trusty weeding tools have gone to work, you might be wondering, “What now?” Even if you have the best, most fun and functional weeding tools in the world, you likely don’t want to spend copious amounts of time weeding throughout the season!
The best way to prevent weeds in your garden is to first use the proper weeding tools to remove all present weeds by the root, paying special attention to the tap root of invasive species such as dandelions and thistles.
From there, you can maximize your hard work by laying down a thick layer of mulch around your garden, flowerbed, landscaping, etc. This will prevent future weeds from taking root and will greatly cut down on the time you spend weeding.
You can also use weed barriers, similar to liquid weedkillers, to keep down the weed growth; but it’s recommended to use caution with these, as the synthetic chemicals often used to create them can seep into the soil and affect plants, flowers, and food.
Weeding FAQ
How often do I need to weed?
In order to prevent weeds from maturing and deeply taking root, and to minimize the amount of time you have to spend weeding overall, it’s generally advised that you weed your garden, flowerbed, or landscaping areas about once a week. Setting aside time to do this will ensure that weeds don’t take over!
Is there one right way to weed?
There are many different ways to weed by hand and with tools, and this can also vary based on the gardener’s specific capabilities and needs as well. Some gardeners can stand to weed on their hands and knees for long periods of time; others can’t really get down in the soil without causing themselves physical pain.
The broad market of weeding tools exists specifically because there’s not just one single right way to weed…the key is to find the weeding style and weeding tools that work best for your garden set up, lifestyle, and capabilities!
How many weeding tools do I need?
While in a perfect world, most gardeners would love a one size fits all tool that solves all their gardening and weeding needs, this is not always the case! The number of weeding tools you will need depends largely upon what weeds are natively occurring in your area.
In general, you may find one multipurpose tool and another specific weeding tool will do the trick to tackle any kind of issues you run into while gardening; but it’s good to be aware and prepared that you may need a couple of different weeding tools to keep your weed population fully under control!
Make Short Work of Weeds With Great Weeding Tools
As you now see, weeding tools are an invaluable part of a gardener’s tool collection. Having several good-quality options means you’re equipped to keep your garden weed-free, which means your plants will be healthy and put forth their best show of blooms or crops of yummy edibles.
Feeling encouraged and informed about all things weeding tools? Don’t stop there! There’s a lot to learn about gardening tools including digging tools, pruning tools, and so much more.
Interested in learning about more gardening tools? Then visit my garden tools page for tips, product advice, and comprehensive guides!
Need some more weeding guidance? Then learn more about common weeds, including prevention and treatment!