I’ve worked with other professional gardeners for over twenty-five years, and a tool that continues to be a popular part of our weeding arsenal is the Nejiri Gama hand hoe. Made in Japan, this lightweight tool with a hardwood handle will have a long life in your tool collection. It’s wonderful for scraping up shallow weeds. The 5½-inch hardened steel blade skims just under the soil’s surface. The deepest-rooted weeds require a different tool, but this well-balanced hand hoe is particularly effective with early weed growth. The blade, which should be kept sharp, cuts best with a pulling motion. This hoe is compact, at only 10½ inches in length.

—Mark Dwyer

Source: gardentoolcompany.com

Price: $19.20

Mark Dwyer, former director of horticulture at Rotary Botanical Gardens in Janesville, Wisconsin, now operates Landscape Prescriptions by MD.

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