Sarah weeding the squash trials with a stirrup hoe
As soon as we starting asking our staff what their favorite tools were, we realized that everyone, without exception, loved something different. So we divided them into 5 categories to help you learn more about the best tools for each use, and choose just the right ones for your needs. Cultivating Large Areas "My husband introduced me to the stirrup hoe; it works wonders on weeds by hacking off the tops. While it doesn’t get to the root of the problem (hah!) it does save on the hands-and-knees weed pulling, which means I’m more likely to do it and not let the weeds win."

- Carrie


Katie Spring weeding with a collinear hoe




"I really like my narrow collinear hoe. Developed by Eliot Coleman, it's great for weeding between tightly-spaced rows like onions or salad greens. You do have to be careful and go slowly, as it's easy to nick plants in tight spaces, but I like how you can stand up straight to use it. A much easier way to weed if you don't like bending!"

- Sophia

"My swan neck hoe sings around evenly spaced plants. Its geometry fits me really well, and I find it to be non-fatiguing when held properly. It moves through soil easily, taking out weeds when they are silver threads, but it also has enough heft to go after heavier, larger weeds and drag them out of the beds."

- Paul


5-Tined Hand Cultivator
"My nomination would be a 5-pronged cultivator I found in a thrift store after we moved to Vermont. It came in handy when we decided to plant a garden at our new place last summer. The plot we chose to plant was 20' by 20', overgrown with several years of weeds, much of it switchgrass. We had no equipment, and no hope of any. The plot needed a tractor and plow.  I had shovels, rakes, hoes, a garden fork. I tried them all with poor result. Finally, I tried this 5-pronged claw. And with it, I cleared the plot. It swung swiftly, reached deeply, pulled easily. Nothing resisted it. Now it is truly my favorite garden tool."

- John

Cultivating Small Areas

Cobra Head Weeder
"My favorite tool is called a Cobra Head weeder, and it is my go-to hand tool in the garden (and on the farm I worked on for 4 seasons). It’s great for digging up long roots like dandelions as well as pulling out runner-type roots like the dreaded witchgrass. It has a double blade on the end, so you can hack at stuff if you can’t pull it out, and you can also run it along its side to scuff up the dirt crust and do a quick hand weed. In short, it’s deadly. To weeds. Plus, the blue handle makes it easy to find if you set it down to really tug at a root."

- Genevieve


"I’m pretty attached to my EZ digger from Fedco. It’s the perfect tool for making furrows and then smoothing the bed afterward.  Also the sharp tip is excellent for punching holes in plastic."

Hori Hori Weeding Knife

- Jodi

"The tool I use more often than any other is the hori hori Japanese weeding knife. It's great for transplanting, digging out taprooted weeds, and dividing perennials. Best of all, it's small enough to carry with me, and the full tang blade is strong enough to leverage out stubborn weeds without bending."

- Elena

  Digging & Edging "It feels a little mundane, but I love my garden fork. Since having kids, my time and attention for my garden has plummeted and perennial weeds have taken a firm hold in my veggie garden and many of my perennial beds. My salvation is the digging fork to loosen the soil enough to get every last bit of the roots. Otherwise, I’m sunk. In better weed years, I love the stirrup hoe because I can get the weeds when they’re small and don’t have to resort to the fork. I’m afraid to say I think the fork will be my friend for a while yet…"

- Andrea

"The flat edge of my spade is great for creating clean edges around garden beds. An angled, well-defined edge makes the bed look tidy and makes it much more difficult for weeds to creep in."

- Sophia

Seeding & Transplanting

Hoss Garden Seeder
"I recently tried a Hoss seeder and it is awesome! It cleans out easily, is super durable, American made, and it doubles as a wheel hoe."

- Stephen

"A dibbler is really easy to build, costs very little and brings so much to the farm. It cuts down on waste of plant production, since I know exactly how many plants it takes to fill a row, and it promotes plant health by giving each plant the room it needs to thrive."

- Paul


Jamie pruning tomatoes in the Trials Field
Pruning "Felco pruners are a pleasure to hold and use. Such a clean cut, even if they are for a lefty and I’m a righty—using them is a pleasure and having to put a little thought into each cut (due to the lefty set up) makes me smile."

- Tom F