The Best Small Hand Tools for the Garden

If I had to choose one tool to work with in the garden, it would be a Niwashi.  This is a small Japanese hand tool that is versatile and effective for weeding, cultivating and planting seedlings.  Here it is:

The tool is well made and durable with good steel in the blade and a strong handle.  The blade is angled back and very useful for weeding by drawing it back towards you through the soil.  If you have tough weeds the heel of the blade in line with the handle provides a powerful attack - I remove big docks and similar plants with it.  It will also cope with dry, hard ground.

Turning the tool so the tip points down lets you cultivate the ground down 10 or 15 cms deep and is useful to create planting holes for small plants.  I haven't used a trowel for this for years.

In fact, I don't use any other small tool in the garden and if I'm wandering out to check things, do a little light weeding or preparing a small area to plant I grab the niwashi and I'm good to go.

I also have a long-handled version which is very useful for weeding and cultivating.  The handle is not very long  (about 107 cms ) and I need to stoop a bit when using it so it's not great for hours of work but within that limitation it's a fine tool and one of my staples.  

Conveniently, these tools are imported from Japan and sold in New Zealand here:  Niwashi

They are also now sold through a number of retailers but I've found Yurika's direct service very good.

A second tool that Yurika sells is the Shark.  This is also an impressively powerful tool for something so small!  It's about 34 cms long in all and the serrated blade is perhaps 17 cms.  

The teeth angle backwards so the shark is used by grabbing a handful of some vegetation you want to trim and drawing the blade back to cut it.  It is not a sickle or used as a chopper.  With this little tool you can cut very tough, fibrous plants.  Flax is easy.  I cut dried off grasses, pampas grass, brambles, corn stalks, brassica stems and other heavy vegetation.  It is surprising how much you can clear with the shark.  I use it quite a lot and my one is showing some wear and tear.  I've lost a tooth or two, usually by hitting metal or wire in the middle of the "jungle".  The tool still does the job well but I'll have to treat myself to a new one soon!  There are some other interesting tools on Yurika's site - the small grubber looks good.  Here are my own much-used, well-worn niwashi tools.