Thanks Aguane, what a great idea ... no more good utensils ruined by digging in the dirt! I'm putting a couple of cheap knives on my shopping list right now!

Great idea and great tool. It looks just like the one I have. : )

Pick a few up at yard sales. They almost always have odds & ends silverware. Cheap, cheap.

I just opted to ask for a hori-hori knife to use in the garden. After over 40 yrs of marriage, I have at least a box full of serrated knives that don't match anything else. I'll sure try this tip...at least until Christmas when I guilt someone into buying me a hori-hori!

And the best...I can leave them all over the yard and not worry about 'em. Thanks for great tip.

I like this tip and when I get a garden again, I'll use it Susie!
Happily, my containers don't get weeds.

What a GREAT idea! I thought I had most of my silverware drawer in my gardening basket but this one was missing It will be added today!

Another fabby tip today Thanks aguane

Permission to play with knives!! Thanks for the tip!

Thank for a great tip.

It's amazing what easy ideas are very helpful to others! I probably would have never thought of this great idea. LOL Definitely putting 'weed removing knives' on my shopping list!

And, as an addendum to the weeding tip above, I just read an article recently on weeding, and a number one tip was to remove the root of the weed with as little disturbance to the surrounding soil as possible. Which is why a knife would be perfect -- a serrated knife is even better, as you can sink it down under and cut the root below ground.

According to the article, there are weed seeds ALL OVER THE GROUND, approximately 3"-4" below the soil. The weeds need LIGHT to germinate. Without it, they just stay in a dormant state underground. Pulling a weed up and disturbing the ground exposes the pre-existing seeds to light! We can, in fact, cause even more weeds to grow, by the way we perform our weeding!

Be advised!

Sheila_FW said:Permission to play with knives!! Thanks for the tip!

Sheila, you can play with knives, but for goodness sake, don't run with scissors!

Thanks all. A professor at Wayne University taught me this trick. I bought his house and he left me his knife collection It's a good idea to totally remove the root ... in toto. Try not to sever the root midway. That can encourage the weed to grow back with mucho gusto.

I use one of our screw drivers in the same way. Just have to be careful it is not one of DH's good ones !

I think I've seen cheap knives for 25 cents at good will....everyone gets knives for Christmas this year!

My knife preference is to put a serrated steak knife in a vise and (very slo-ooo-ly) bend it until you have a nearly-right angle. If you bend it too fast, it will snap. You can do it with pliers, but a vise is easier.

This tool takes a bit of getting used to, but it makes it possible to cut off the weed root up to 3" underground, lift the weed out of the ground, toss it, and keep cutting - ALL WITHOUT PUTTING THE TOOL DOWN. It's a HUGE time saver!

You make the bend to the left if you are right-handed and to the right if you are left-handed. I make multiples every year and give them to each of my crew members. Nothing beats 'em for getting into tight spaces without damaging valued plants in the landscape.

My fave has been a fork to pull out weeds...will have to try the knife!!!!