My favorite small, handheld gardening tool is the cultivator. This three-pronged tool makes it easy to plant, weed, and cultivate in your garden especially in small areas.
I've noticed when I dig with a trowel it produces a hole that has hard or compacted sides. Digging with a cultivator leaves the soil area loose. The loose soil makes it easier for newly transplanted plants to establish new roots. Weeds can be gently removed with little impact to the area around them. Using the cultivator to break up encrusted soil surfaces will add oxygen to plants.
When it is time for work in my garden, I always have my cultivator handy for putting in new plants, transplanting, weeding and working the soil around "existing plants." It is my favorite!
Remember: Keeping your tools clean will insure many years of service and keep your plants healthy, too.
Pat High, Smith County Master Gardener
Texas AgriLife Extension Service
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