A how-to guide to picking the best weeding tools...

Everyone has weeds. And everyone has their own preferences on how they like to get rid of them depending on what they are, where they are and how they prefer to garden.

So whilst we might have our own favourites that we can recommend, someone else may say something completely differently..... We reckon as long as you have got a really good weeding tools in hand - that make the job easier and hopefully a little less arduous - chose what works!

So here is our range and why you might chose these tools for your weeding. We've split them up into general weeding and specialist weeding (as in for a specific weed or to get the weed out of a specific place)... 

General weeding: 

1. Garden Hoe
Hoes are classic tools for removing weeds. We've got a few options that perform slightly differently, depending on what you need to do in the garden:

•  Sneeboer Royal Dutch Hoe - We cannot rave about this enough. Unlike standard hoes that bounce across the surface (especially when you have rubbish heavy soil like ours), this Royal Dutch Hoe from Sneeboer easily and effectively bites into the soil. It has a ‘crown’ shape (hence its name) meaning it clears weeds effortlessly on both the push and the pull – so it seems to cut weeding time down (always a bonus!).  We do have these in full size – but they are a nightmare to send out (it’s 165cm long) so get in touch if you’d like one of these, as we have to sort shipping.
• Hoes that can weed or dig - depending on how you like to garden:
• The Niwaki Forked Hand Hoe - this really is for heavy duty weeding of large areas at the beginning or end of the season. It's got great weight and balance to turn over larger areas of ground ahead of, or after, planting. There's also a Niwaki Hand Hoe (with no tines). 
• Homi Korean Garden Hand Hoe - another great heavy duty tool, that we'd use for digging (mainly), but can turn its hand to weeding too. 
• Sneeboer Pull Hoe and Fork - this is a quite a specialist hoe that has two sides to it - for digging and weeding precision. It's got a short handle length so it's a got a different feel in the hand and you need to be close to what you are weeding - but as with all Sneeboer garden tools it not only works brilliantly but looks impressive too.  

2. Japanese Hori Hori garden knife
The Hori Hori is an amazing garden tool that we rave about all the time because it’s incredibly versatile around the garden.  In the spring and autumn we talk about using it to plant bulbs or cut turf, but it really does come into its own during the summer months as it is particularly good for weeding. Our advice is to just have it on you whilst you are gardening then you can tackle the weeds as you see them.

There are lots of variations of Hori Hori garden knife that we currently sell – all great at weeding – so it comes down to personal choice:

• Niwaki Hori-Hori garden knife is made from high carbon steel and comes with a lovely sheath (so makes a good gift for gardeners).
• The Tinker and Fix Hori-Hori garden knife– is made of stainless steel (meaning it doesn’t rust if you leave it out in the garden) and has depth markers. We sell two versions – one that is serrated and one that isn’t. The serrated is our go-to Hori Hori. Whilst the standard Hori-Hori is quite popular because we do painted versions (again good for gardening gifts or for gardeners who tend to lose their tools in the garden and need to be able to easily see them!)
• Our Skatewood Hori Hori – heavy duty and looks beautiful too. It does the same job, but perhaps makes weeding a little more enjoyable as it is so great to look at and use!
• Barebones Hori Hori - it's an excellent heavy duty option, with serrations. 

3. Niwaki weeding hoe
As with all Niwaki garden tools, this Niwaki weeding hoe is sharp and effective. They know blades, so if you want to cut something – like weeds – then Niwaki is a reliable choice! You can draw this weeding hoe across the surface and you’ll clear up the weeds in no time. It’s a great option for cutting your weeds that has a different head shape to the Hori-Hori. 

4. The Sneeboer Cape Cod weeder
This was designed and used by gardeners in the Cape Cod area of Massachusett, USA, hence its name. Designed to be used like a hoe to remove weeds it can also be used as a pick to aerate soil.  It's very useful where precision is needed to weed in a full garden border or bed.  Also great for weeding pots. It's quite similar in design to the Japanese weeding trowels, but is doesn't have a sharpened edge in the same way. 

5. The Sneeboer weeding trowel:
If you don't like the blade style of the hoes or Hori-Hori then you absolute go to should be the Sneeboer weeding trowel.  This is a longer thinner trowel than the Sneeboer transplanting trowel, designed for weeding. It’s great for working in beds and pots that you want to get rid of weeds from. You can use it for planting (and its depth does help this) but not really for moving lots of soil due to its narrower profile.  We do liken it to the Japanese Hori-Hori garden knife– it’s long and thin and has a sharpened edge. We reckon this is the European equivalent – it has more depth to it, so if you like the idea of a Hori Hori, but you aren’t sure or prefer a more ‘traditional’ trowel – then perhaps this Sneeboer weeding trowel is a better option for you. It has a cherry handle.

6. Weeding forks: 
Sneeboers weeding forks allow you to get into the soil and get the weeds out - sounds basic - but it's not - they actually work in hard ground, they don't bend or break - they are quality forks! You can choose from a variety of different Sneeboer weeding forks (all amazing quality):

• one of Sneeboers 'normal' weeding forks with three tines. You can have it short handed or long handed depending on preference (the long ones are good for reaching into long areas and for use in raised beds too). And because we like to make gardening tools as great gift options, we also have weeding forks that have beautiful skatewood handles. 
• the two tine weeding fork - this has two really thin tines to be able to drive in and wrap around weed roots. 
  
  

Specialist weeding tools: 

1. The Sneeboer Flat stone scratcher 
This Sneeboer stone scratcher (great name!) is more specialist – it is specifically designed to get rid of those annoying seeds and weeds that come up between your paving stones. It’s perfectly designed to get in between the cracks to clear out and cut through your weeds. As with all garden tools from Sneeboer, it is made to do the job well and to last for years. It’s forged stainless steel, you can sharpen the edge so you’ll be able to keep it working effectively to cut the roots of your weeds.  Yes you can buy a cheap plastic one, but this one works brilliantly – importantly its cherry handle is so comfortable to use) and will become a trusted garden tool for weeding.

 2. The Sneeboer Dandelion trowel
This is very similar to the Sneeboer Weeding Trowel – but it is longer and thinner and therefore perfect for removing weeds (like dandelions) that have long tap roots. If you are a lawn perfectionist, this is the perfect garden tool for you! It is heavily curved, so you can take a ‘core’ out of your grass to help you to remove the whole root. It has a cherry handle. Again, this would be a great gift for gardeners – especially lawn lovers - as they are unlikely to have one already.

3. The Sneeboer Dandelion weed cutter
If you don't want to take a 'core' of your grass and you have a steady hand - then the Sneeboer Dandelion weed cutter may be your go-to.. it's designed to be pushed down alongside the weed and then the head cuts the root deep in the soil. People have raved about them to us - but we perhaps lack the skills as our preference would be the dandelion trowel (or leaving them in the lawn to be honest!!)