Garden root remover – hand tool for neat and quick removal from the soil of plant roots. It will make it much easier to control weeds without using chemicals, which can damage garden crops and flowers.

A root remover or, as it is also called, a weed extractor consists of a handle and a metal working part attached to it. It is a long blade, tapering downward. The side edges of the blade are slightly curved upward for convenient picking up of roots: by rotating the handle of the tool, it is possible to trim the roots and remove the weed even with a branched root system.

There are other options for this device. For example, with a long T-shaped handle and a working part in the form of tongs. The weed root is clamped between the two blades, and when the handle is turned, it is easily removed from the ground. These root removers are convenient because they can be used while standing.

Options

Width of the working part. Weed extractors with a narrow working part, 15 – 40 mm, are designed to remove single plants with an unbranched tap root system. Models with a wide blade, for example, extending from 45 to 220 mm, are suitable for working with plants that have branched root system.

Length. There are compact root removers up to 400 mm long, which are suitable for painstaking work on flower beds and ordinary beds. If you have to process a large area with sparsely planted plants, it is better to give preference to a model with a long handle. In this case, you can work standing: total length root remover is more than 1 m.

Material of manufacture. Steel is used for the working part of the tool; for most models it is high-carbon steel, resistant to mechanical stress. Since the metal comes into contact with the soil during operation, an anti-corrosion coating, for example, chromium-nickel, is applied to it.

The dream of any summer resident is to get large harvests with a minimum of physical input. From the world of fantasy? Not at all. Cultivators greatly facilitate the work of a summer resident, with the help of which you can dig up the soil and fight weeds. However, many refuse to buy them due to the high price of industrial hand cultivators. In this article we will tell you how you can make hand cultivators yourself from scrap material.

Hand garden cultivators

First, let's define which cultivators are manual and what function they perform.

All cultivators, depending on the type of mechanical device, are divided into manual, gasoline and electric. Manual ones are also called mechanical. The most effective of them are gasoline ones. But mechanical ones are distinguished by their low price and therefore greater availability.

If we consider the operations that cultivators can perform, the following can be identified as the main ones:

Some types of cultivators can even provide all possible assistance in harvesting.
We'll talk about how to make hand cultivators with your own hands below.

Manual cultivator root remover

Industrial cultivators for weed control are called “Tornado”. They are a lever at the end of which there is a mechanism reminiscent of a fork with curved teeth. When you press (not intensely) on the lever, the forks are screwed into the ground, and when you lift the cultivator by the handle, the weeds, along with the roots, are pulled out of the ground.

We suggest making an analogue of the “Tornado” with your own hands, especially since it is not at all difficult to do. There are even two manufacturing methods of this type cultivator.

A piece of plastic tube is used as a lever, which is threaded into the handle of the handle and firmly fixed there with electrical tape. The lever should protrude 20-25 centimeters from both sides of the handle.

This type of hand cultivator is more complex design, but it is also possible to make it yourself.

To do this, you need to have a bicycle that is no longer able to ride, a cutting surface from a saw (two-handed) or a head from an old, broken cultivator, an angle grinder, screws, a drill, etc.
Of the entire bicycle structure, only a fork and a single wheel are needed. The head of an old cultivator, or the surface of a saw, or small curved steel rods with a sharp edge, or a small plow is attached to the frame. Here you are free to choose for yourself.

Next, a control lever, which can be made of a durable metal tube of small diameter, must be attached to the frame-wheel-harrow system. The entire structure is given rigidity using a connecting cross member. The cultivator is ready for use.

DIY rotary cultivator

Making this type of cultivator yourself is not at all easy.

Difficulty of manufacturing manual option rotary cultivator consists mainly of arranging disks, which should have a convex shape, and not the usual flat one. Convexity is usually achieved using a regular hammer.
The stages of manufacturing a rotary cultivator are as follows.

First, you need to weld the discs to the bushings mounted on the axle. The ends of the disks must be secured in brackets. Secondly, a protrusion is formed in the largest of the brackets, through which the pipe with the crossbar will subsequently pass. Thirdly, a rod is welded to the smallest of the brackets, into which a rod is screwed, partially protruding above the crossbar.

The cultivated plants have not yet had time to properly take root and gain strength, but the weeds are already fully developed. To prevent weeds from “clogging” your plantings, you need to fight them. They come to the aid of summer residents various instruments for weeding, of which there are a great many on sale. To get acquainted with them, we walked through gardening stores.

Hoes for the garden

Hoes, hoes, rippers - these tools are indispensable for loosening the soil between rows and for removing weeds.

On the racks there are various choppers: with wide and narrow blades, with round or pointed corners, triangular and trapezoidal. The main requirement for this tool is a sharp blade.

Typically, carbon steel is used for its manufacture. This material is easy to sharpen and does not rust if properly cared for. Stainless steel hoes are now being produced; they are easier to maintain and more durable. But their high quality also affects the price.

The hoe's older sister is the hoe. Its blade has the shape of a semicircle with sharp ends, it is used for laying beds and holes for vegetables and potatoes on rocky soils that are difficult to cultivate.

For hilling densely planted plants, where it is impossible to use a hoe or hoe, a hoe is used - a steel triangle with a downward pointing top, put on a short handle.

When choosing tools with a blade for weeding, pay attention to the thickness of the steel, it should be 2 - 3 mm, otherwise the blade will bend and quickly wear off, he advised consultant in one of the gardening stores Andrey.

Rippers are presented in an even larger assortment. They come in the form of small rakes, “cats” with different numbers of teeth. They are used to loosen the soil in beds or flower beds. They belong to the category of small instruments, large areas They are inconvenient to handle.

When choosing hoes and rippers, I would focus gardeners’ attention on details such as handles,” says seller Alla. - Some manufacturers make short handles that cannot be lengthened in any way, others leave only a hole for the handle, and still others make a small handle, but with a hole for the handle. That is, the gardener can use the tool at close range, or, inserting a long handle into it, work while standing. This is very convenient and allows you to significantly reduce the amount of inventory.

Hand cultivators

Another invention that allows you to loosen the soil is hand cultivators - star and toothed.

Serrated manual cultivator used for loosening the surface of compacted soil or plowing weeds. This tool is a three or five-pronged metal attachment on a long handle. It should be pulled through the soil, usually while standing.

The star cultivator (disc) is based on star-shaped disks connected to each other. This mechanism works very simply. It is enough to move it across the bed with a little effort so that the sharp rays of the stars cut the roots of the weeds and loosen the soil. The width of the weeded beds depends on the number of star-shaped disks.

Root removers

Surely, many of you are familiar with root removers in the form of a narrow long spatula, which must be buried under the very root of the plant and carefully removed from the ground. The device helps to get rid of annoying weeds with a long tap root system.

For the same purposes, another little thing was invented. It looks like a screwdriver with metal “antennae” at the end and a metal rounded “sail” along the entire length of the shaft. How it works: the root remover needs to be pressed into the ground next to the root of the plant so that the “antennae” are on both sides of the root. Then press the handle down with your hand, the root remover rolls along its “sail” and pulls out the weed.

The device is extremely dubious. The “tendrils” are very small to properly hook the root, and besides, they do not penetrate deep into the soil, which does not provide any guarantee of removing the entire root of the plant.

But there are more advanced models that are in demand among gardeners, although their prices are no longer ridiculous.

They have a large height, which allows you to work while standing and not get your hands dirty. The devices are equipped with a handle on top, and spiral-shaped pointed teeth directed at the bottom. different sides, and a footrest to bury the tines into the soil. Such root removers can be manual or mechanical.

A manual root remover must be positioned vertically above the weed, buried in the soil and rotated clockwise, and then pulled up along with the plant root.

I couldn’t do anything to them, not a single movement, neither left nor right. I stuck it in, but couldn’t pull anything out, since the grass didn’t even catch on, and it also seemed heavy to me. It stood in the corner all summer, not even the paint peeled off the teeth. I regretted buying it a hundred times. Perhaps I’m the only one who couldn’t work with it, maybe someone will have complete admiration for it,” she shared her impressions on one of the forums for gardeners summer resident Natalia.

It is likely that it will be easier to work with a mechanical root remover, since it has a handle that controls the process. The device is also placed vertically above the weed, with the handle in the down position. By pressing on the footrest, you need to drive the tines into the soil so that they capture the root. Pull the tool out of the ground using the handle, pulling it up. Once you return the handle to its original position, the weed itself will fall out of the tines.

Anna, gardener and “fan” of the root remover, said:

Super thing! Very convenient, fast, easy and most importantly - effective. All the terrible weeds were pulled up, not buried. Thickets with wheatgrass - easily! He digs out all these kilometers of roots. And my husband, a well-known quitter, no longer thinks of touching a shovel. Therefore, we work in turns. I should buy a second one.

Prepared by Natalya Berlizova.

Hello, dear blog readers. Summer is a busy time for summer residents. Watering plants, fertilizing, pest and disease control are required constantly, but these works are not comparable in difficulty and time consumption to removing weeds. Apply various ways combat them, but the most reliable and long-lasting effect is mechanical. In order for the work not to be too tiring and to bring results, you need a reliable garden weed removal tool.

There is still a debate about whether it is necessary to weed the beds. Some assure and prove by their experience that best harvest obtained on unweeded beds. Others claim that after weeding, you can immediately notice how the vegetables grow. Whose side is the truth on?

Crops and shoots of greens and vegetables will quickly be drowned out by more powerful weeds. Weeding is a labor-intensive process; it is especially difficult to uproot plantain, clover, wheatgrass, and dandelion. The smallest particles of roots left in the ground cause a new plant to reproduce.

Therefore, many gardeners do not weed weeds, tearing them out of the ground by the roots, but simply cut them off. This is done constantly so that the height does not exceed 5 cm and, of course, so that they do not bloom and form seeds.

You can cut weeds above the ground with a scythe or trimmer. Mown weeds grow back quickly, so the operation must be repeated frequently. If you do not remove weeds, but leave them in the rows in the garden bed, the resulting layer of mulch will slow down the growth of weeds.

If the area is heavily overgrown with weeds with strong roots, use in the following way. First trim the area with a trimmer, then go through it with a hoe. Finish the area with a flat cutter.

As you can see, it is impossible to definitively answer the question of whether to weed or not to weed. It all depends on the type of weed and their age. Weed removal should be approached individually in each case, choosing the right technology and a set of tools.

How to weed correctly

To make weeding easier, follow these proven recommendations:

1. Don't put off weed control. When they are young and not yet strong, you can remove them without applying special effort. If you wait for the weeds to flower and produce seeds, next year you will have more work: there will be even more of them.
2. In heavily overgrown areas, the fight against them should begin in the fall. When digging, use a pitchfork and do not turn over the layers of earth. Winter frosts will destroy the root system of weeds.
3. For perennial weeds it is required special approach. You should not pull them out of the ground by the roots: numerous fragments remain, on which growth points awaken, and the weed becomes denser. It is necessary to cut them below the growing point or mow down the part of the plant above the ground. In this case, the weed will not begin to branch, as is usually the case, but the growth of the cut stem will resume.
4. Start weeding the area even before the sown seeds emerge. useful plants. The problem is not to damage crops that have not yet sprouted. Sow them strictly in rows, mark the crops with pegs. Weeds start to grow a little faster cultivated plants. Do not wait for them to appear, but go through the weeding field between the marked rows, destroying the weed sprouts underground.

Weeding tool requirements

Makes the gardener's work easier correct set inventory. To work on garden plot They use weeders, various hoes, and flat cutters. When choosing a tool, pay attention to the handle; it should be of sufficient length so that the worker does not bend over.

A tool whose handle can be easily grasped by the hand is convenient for use. What matters here is the thickness and the material from which it is made. The handle of the tool should fit comfortably in the person’s hand.

Wooden handles should be well sanded and free of burrs and knots, which will lead to calluses on the hands. The wood for handles is chosen from soft species, it is light in weight. Handles made of oak and beech are strong, but very heavy.

The working surface of the tool should be at an angle that provides the greatest efficiency during operation and requires the least effort. It’s good when the design of a garden tool allows for changing the angle of the working tool. When buying a tool, be sure to hold it in your hands, try on the length of the handle, how comfortable it lies in your hand, check the angle of inclination of the working surface. Choose a tool whose angle of inclination can be changed.

When you make working tools for weeding with your own hands, the required angle of inclination can be set immediately by trying the tool on for yourself. You can make a simple modification that will allow you to adjust your inventory.

Homemade devices

From deteriorated garden tools and other available materials easy to do simple devices, which will facilitate weed control:

1. Weeder. It is easily made from a board 25-30 cm long and 8 cm wide. Treat the wood with a plane, round the corners lengthwise, and sand. Make sure that the instrument fits comfortably in your hand. In order not to bend over when working, you can rigidly attach a comfortable handle. Hammer some nails into the board. The weeder is useful for removing weeds that have not yet sprouted.
2. The ripper will be made from an old garden fork. The teeth are cut to 10 cm in length, straightened and sharpened. Insert a long handle so you can work without bending over.
3. A device for digging up weeds with roots can be made from a spade. The canvas is cut from the top on both sides, tapering downwards. This tool is convenient for cutting the rhizomes of bushes.
4. A hoe is necessary after each watering and rain to loosen the soil and at the same time cut down weeds. A lightweight hoe is useful for working in wet soil. To do this, cut out in the working plane rectangular hole. The earth will not stick, but will pass through it.
5. The hand cultivator is made of durable sheet metal. Cut 4 strips 15 cm long, 3 cm wide. They are bent at right angles and welded to the bar. WITH reverse side the handle is attached, the working part is sharpened. This lightweight cultivator is used for weeding and loosening the soil, while simultaneously removing weeds.

Purchased tools

A gardener spends a lot of time and effort on removing weeds. It is important to have a set quality tools for weeding. Let's get acquainted with some of the most commonly used industrial devices:

1. A root remover is used to pull out long taproots, like those of sorrel, dandelion, and plantain. Classic version The device is a two-pronged fork. She has flat, wide teeth and a gap between them. Another version of the root remover has a V-shaped blade attached to a long handle. The tool will help remove most of the root, but will not pull it out completely.
2. A garden fork is indispensable for removing weeds that have a developed root system: raspberries, buttercups. A modification with teeth bent at 45° allows you to loosen the soil shallowly and remove weeds that are not firmly seated in the ground.
3. A hoe is a hybrid of a pick and a shovel. It is convenient to remove weeds, loosen rows, hill up, work in hard to reach places. The working part is made from high quality metal, the shape can be rectangular, triangular, trapezoidal. Handles are plastic or wooden.
4. The combined hoe consists of two tools: a glander and a rake. The working part has a steel blade at one end and several teeth at the other. This tool is convenient to work between closely growing plants, while simultaneously removing and collecting weeds.
5. The Fokina flat cutter is convenient to use for removing weeds, digging 2-3 cm into the ground. They work like a scythe, pulling along the surface underground.

Gardena tools

In 1977, the German-Swedish company Gardena received a patent for the unique Gardena Combisystem technology. Among all the garden tools offered, the system is extremely competitive. The combisystem allows you to use Garden devices with one handle, which is selected taking into account individual characteristics buyer.

As you can see, there are many tools and devices for removing weeds. Not all are presented in the article. Many craftsmen make their own tools; the industry also offers various gardening tools. It's not so much about what set of tools you have, but how competently you use it.

I wish you good luck in the hard work of a gardener. Share the link to the article with your colleagues and friends.

Goodbye, see you again.

Working in the garden is difficult, but necessary. Who likes to weed their garden beds? Perhaps there are some, but most summer residents try to make the task easier and speed it up by purchasing various gardening tools to help. A root remover is a very important thing in the household; with its help you can even pull out thorns with long roots. We suggest that you first get acquainted with the more expensive root remover-cultivator, then we will move on to cheap models, which are also very easy to use.

Choosing a root cultivator

When deciding to purchase such an assistant, do not choose the cheapest tool created by an unfamiliar company. First, read reviews about the products, and then buy. The first thing a summer resident should take into account is the functions that a garden root remover-cultivator can perform. Spare no expense and think about one that will plow the ground, loosen it, and pull out the roots. Second: consultants always offer the most expensive product first. Look at the power, and if you don’t have a field, but a small one summer cottage plot, then take the one that is less powerful, and therefore cheaper!

Features of the garden cultivator-root remover

How nice it is to come to the garden, quickly finish all the planned tasks and spend the rest of the weekend by the fire, frying a well-deserved barbecue! With a root remover-cultivator this is quite possible. Let's talk about the advantages of the unit.

1. Using this device, you can not only remove roots, but also prepare holes for planting, plow the ground for planting, and consistently loosen. And all this without a shovel!
2. You don’t have to bend over all day and make your way from bed to bed. With such a mechanism, you will work while standing, with virtually no effort.
3. All garden work are produced several times faster, leaving you with a lot of time and effort.

Now we suggest you learn how to use a garden root remover.

Instructions

There are many manufacturers of such units, but their use is no different. It is necessary to install the device near the weeds, turn the handle so that the teeth of the nozzle dig into the soil and begin to loosen it, removing all the weeds along with the roots using a lifting mechanism. Reviews of such units say that they are capable of removing all the grass, which is simply torn off by hand, and not pulled out with the root.

The disadvantages of this miracle are that it is not suitable for weeding beds with “trifles”. The device can pull out all the root crops at the same time, so for such weeding you need to use a regular garden root remover.

Simple root remover

Everyone knows how difficult it is to dig up a firmly rooted dandelion from the ground or get rid of horseradish. A garden root remover was created specifically for weed control. Of course, you can try to dig with a shovel, but this tool is still more convenient, simple and easy, and does not require much effort. The handle can be simply wooden or metal with a rubber attachment, which will allow you to hold the tool more firmly in your hand. The garden root remover is constantly in contact with wet soil, so you should choose one whose tip is made of durable stainless steel. There are reinforced root removers that require even less physical effort, so they are more popular than the simplest ones and do not cost much more.

Terms of use

Many novice gardeners, looking at such a tool, may simply become confused. This weapon is especially frightening for women: a useless thing that is incomprehensible to use. In fact, using a garden root remover is very simple. The tool has tendrils; you need to press it into the ground next to the weed so that they are at the edges harmful plant. After this, you need to press the lever in the direction opposite to the root. The tendrils will dig into the soil, hook the root as deeply as possible and remove it. That's all, all you have to do is transfer the plant to a hole with humus.