Good Tools for Digging Up Weed Roots

Hoes

• A hoe is very practical for digging up weeds. However, some specialty hoes are more effective than others for removing weed roots. Look for a hoe with a blade that's longer than 3 inches, for the most effective soil penetration. Diamond-shaped hoes are oriented in a way that allows you to make maximum use of the length of the blade. This allows you to dig deep into the ground easily and reach the bottom of the weed root system. A sharper hoe also makes it easier to cut deep enough into the ground to ensure that you remove the entire weed.

Twisting Tools

• These tools are made and marketed under a number of different brand names, but they all share a common characteristic. A number of tines are attached to a main tool. The tines stick out from the tool at a downward angle, with all tines angling the same direction. Different manufacturers design these tools in different configurations. Some use a curved tine, while others have tines with multiple sharp angles in each tine. This allows them to be inserted into the soil in a corkscrew motion that cuts easily through the earth and captures the roots of the weed inside the tool. The tool is simply pulled up after insertion and removes the weed and all or most of its weed system.

Forks

• A garden fork works well to dig up weeds, especially those that are rooted in firm ground. Garden forks have a long wooden handle with a three- or four-tined stainless or carbon-steel fork on the end of the shaft. It is sometimes difficult to chop through very hard, dense ground with a hoe unless you are very strong and have a sharp blade. With a garden fork, you can place your foot on the tool and use your body weight to provide you with the force that you need to penetrate deeply enough into the soil to dig up the weed root.

Spade

• The humble spade is still a very effective tool at digging up weed roots, partly for the same reasons as the garden fork. Spades resemble shovels except with a flatter blade designed more for digging than moving or scooping material. Spade heads come with flat edges, gentle curved edges and more pointy curves. The goal of each design is to create a tool that digs effectively in the soil. For weeds that spread a wide reaching root system, a spade provides a good digging tool to dig a large hole around the weed for lifting out the entire weed system. Like the hoe, a spade should be kept with a sharp edge to make it effective at digging and shearing off fine roots.