In-Row Weeding Without Damaging Plants

Importance of Weed Control

Taking control of weeds is important because they are unwanted plant growth that will cause many issues in the vegetable garden. These weeds can cause restricts on plant growth due to them competing for nutrients, soil, water, and space that the plants you are trying to get growing need more than the weeds. Another issue with weeds in the garden is they may even smother smaller plants that are trying to germinate or prevent them from growing at all. Also, some invasive weeds can destroy a habitat and damage all the native plants that grow there. To avoid these harsh and invasive weeds it is best to remove them quickly before they become a bigger problem, germinate to spread, and destroy the natural plant habitat in the vegetable garden.

In-Row Weeding in the Garden

It's no secret that when using our Hoss Wheel Hoe between our rows it helps decrease and control weeds in the garden perfectly. However, what about the in-row weeding or weeding in between plants along the row as opposed to between rows. With in-row weeding, it can be a little more delicate task than just simply weeding around the garden with the wheel hoe. With closely-spaced crops like onions, carrots, beets, or garlic a small tool that does not have several sharp edges is needed to control those weeds around these crops. In-row weeding is the process of weeding in between and as close to plants without damaging those plant stems or stalks. Due to the sharp edges that can surround a traditional hoe or wheel hoe, we can not use them for in-row weeding because there is a high risk of nicking and damaging one or several of the plants. Travis explains that his favorite tool for in-row weeding is the Single Tine Cultivator. A multifunctional tool that can help with close weeding, cultivating, and various other garden techniques. This single tine cultivator has a sharp pointed blade at the end that allows you to dig and uproot smaller or larger weeds surrounding those plants in the garden. The single tine cultivator also contains a cylindrical curved shank that allows you to work closely next to the plants without damaging the stems or stalks. However, the curved part of the shank should face the stems and stalks, not the sharply pointed blade. You can turn the blade on its side to skim the top of the soil for shallow cultivation and removal of shallow-rooted weeds. Another benefit of this tool is the narrow blade has the ability to create a furrow for smaller seeds in the garden. We also carry this Single Tine Cultivator in a short handle version known as the Short Single Tine Cultivator. Same design as the long handle single tine cultivator, just with a shorter handle for easier in-row weeding and cultivating in raised garden beds or elevated gardens. The shorter handle also works great for individuals that are not as tall and like to work closely in the garden. The longer handle is 54 inches and the shorter handle is 18 inches. However, the blade width is 5/8 inches on both versions. The blades are made out of high-carbon steel that can be sharpened using our Farmer's File. The top-notch quality of the Single Tine Cultivator will become your favorite tool when it comes to weeding and cultivating inside your vegetable garden or raised beds.