Weeding Wonder Tool

This Weeding Wonder Tool deserves a prize! That’s right, a plain ole pry bar has been my favorite gardening tool for years. Not only is it great for weeding, it tackles several other pesky tasks you might run into along the way. What makes it work so well is it’s weight and strength. It is heavy enough to penetrate the soil and get up under the roots and it is not going to break or bend. 

Weeding Made Easy

We have had so much rain this summer that the weeds have just about taken over. About twice a year, I like to really dig in and get these weeds out by the roots. Just plain tired of spraying the Round Up. Here is a link to a You Tube video that was posted about a year ago entitled Gardening Made Easy.  This was posted by another gardener who has discovered the awesomeness of the Weeding Wonder!

Here I have discovered a weed trying to disguise itself as a Day Lily leaf. Can’t very well get ride of that with Round Up. By grasping the weed with one hand and running the pry bar into the ground where the weed is growing, you can quickly get the weed out of the plant, root and all.

Digging My Landscape? Well, it doesn’t stop there. Landscaped areas have to be maintained, especially ones where a gazillion weeds existed in the first place. I chose not to use landscape fabric because I just didn’t want to spend the money and I am not sure this areas are going to stay put. We still have some trees that may have to go. Here are few  tips from a seasoned “weed-tress”.

• Forget the kneeling pad and lay down an old towel. This keeps you from getting attacked by ants, itchy grass  and allows for rolling around, which happens frequently with weeding.
• Change positions frequently to avoid extreme soreness the next day. I like to take breaks from weeding and mow with the push mower to “walk it off” a bit.
• Wear gloves thick enough to avoid blisters. You can change body positions, but weeding requires repetitive hand motions, so take care not to overdo.
• Watch out from spiders and snakes! Yikes! Another good reason to be armed with a pry bar.
• Resist the urge to pull the weed without using the pry bar or another tool to dig out the root. It will just grow back bigger and stronger.

I just love the way you can push the pry bar right next to a rock and get the weed out by the root.

Here is an example of a weed that has sprawled out all over the place. I have gather it up (kinda like grabbing a hand full of hair) located the root and as I pull upward, I will work the pry bar into the ground and under the root.

Here I am using the curved side to pull the weed away from the stone, then I can go under and get the root out.

HOLD UP! Look what I spy! Something green and very camouflaged.  Yep, gotta take a few shots of this lovely creature. He actually let me get up very close and even started batting at the camera. Gotta love nature! I have to tell you though, when I ran across a 4 foot long snake the other day while watering the rhododendrons, I DID NOT take time out to make pictures. Instead I did a lovely dance around the yard while screaming for help! 

As I am weeding and cleaning out Day Lily beds, sometimes there are shoots that I wish to remove.  The pry bar is perfect for this. Just push into the ground, a few inches from the plant. Once you have the pry bar in there, wiggle underneath the plant. Tip: If the ground is really hard, you can tap it in with a hammer. I prefer to weed after it has rained. The ground is much more cooperative.

Out comes the little shoot, ready to be gifted or planted in another area. If the ground is soft and workable, the pry bar may also be used to dig a hole for planting.

Ivy Removal made Easy

You can also tidy up around borders with the pry bar. If I am sitting on my towel weeding, sometimes it is just as easy to use the pry bar instead of dragging out my edger.

Got vines that need removing? Pry them loose with the Wonder Tool! We actually used the pry bar when Removing Ivy from Trees.

Look what I found in the middle of the yard. Actually the yard is riddle with “things” left over from an very extensive renovation and 100 year plus of families living here. I want to find a treasure!

Rock Removal Made Easy

No problem with the pry bar. You can use either side to remove the rock. Like this…

or like this….

Okay so while Lesley is inside her cool house making over Bamboo Chairs and 80’s tables, guess what I am doing. Yep Blood,Sweat Tears and Itching all over again. Caught myself scratching a bug bite with my pry bar!