After hearing about this $22 tool from professional landscapers and avid home gardeners, we knew we needed to write about it. Meet the hori hori — a multipurpose, slightly concave Japanese weed knife with a serrated blade on one side. It helps you dig, weed, remove roots, transfer plants, cut sod and divide perennials — and barely takes up space in your kit.
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The original version of this story was published on HuffPost at an earlier date.
When interviewing landscapers for a recent story on lawns, both Kat Aul Cervoni, founder of Staghorn NYC Landscape Design and The Cultivation by Kat and Patrick Farrell, partner at EAS Landscaping LLC in Philadelphia sang the praises of this soil knife. Farrell even deemed it “indispensable when it comes to planting and clearing.” Because the story focused on grass, the knife wasn’t featured, but when a HuffPost reader recommended it in a Facebook callout, we knew it deserved more attention.
Answering an ask for accessible gardening tools for people over 50, long-term gardener Sue Mazer, 54, suggested this comfortable-to-hold, multi-use tool, saying, “Lightly spray mist the mixed soil and use a Japanese [hori-hori] garden knife to make individual holes for the seeds, seedlings or transplants.”
While there are many brands and styles of hori hori-style knives, we (and most of Amazon) like this classic option made by the Japanese brand Nisaku. Made in Japan, weighing 10 ounces, it’s light in your hand with a 7.25-inch blade and 5.25-inch handle that gives you leverage and control. Featuring one serrated side and one straight edge, it’s a knife-of-all-trades kind of tool that will easily earn its spot in your garden tool rotation. The handy inch markers on the blade help you drop seeds at the correct depth and the unique shape lets you do everything from chop branches to plant bulbs. You can even bring it hunting or camping. The blade is rust- and scratch-resistant, keeping its sharpness and shape for years to come.
With a 4.8-star rating and over 7,000 5-star reviews, it seems everyone who has a hori hori recommends it. Reviewer Sally Cloud wrote, “Where has this thing been in my over 30 years of gardening life?!!!” — calling it her favorite garden tool of all time and something you won’t regret buying. Reviewer M called the hori hori the “most versatile garden tool ever” saying, “I never realized I needed a tool like this until I used it. This garden knife is so lightweight and versatile. I use it for small garden tasks like digging out small weeds and cutting vines. When planting, the measurements on the side of the long blade help me to know the depth to which I’m digging. This is helpful when planting seeds. The blade is sharp, easy to clean and has its own sheath. Highly recommend this product!”
If you’ve been thinking of getting into gardening or want to fill out your equipment, the hori hori is a beloved favorite you’ll be happy you grabbed.
Check out more gardening must-haves from our previous coverage of accessible gardening tools:
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A popular standing weeder
Per Houghton, tools with a longer handle can also keep you from bending. “Weed Puller is simple and easy to operate standing up,” she said. With well over 36,000 5-star ratings, this standing weeder is made specifically to effectively remove weeds without kneeling or causing strain on necks or backs. The simple design features a metal claw that grabs weeds from the root with just a tilt of the weeder and the leverage of your foot.
Promising Amazon review: “I cleared a whole garden full of fleabane, amongst perennials i didn’t want disturbed. It worked perfectly. The dream. You don’t even need to bend down to pick it up after it’s been pulled. Just bring a bucket. It’s the only weeder that is easy to use. Requires no bending. Can quickly do plant after plant. Doesn’t hurt any other plants. And gets the whole root of bulb out quickly and easily. It seems be stable and well designed and made. Couldn’t be happier.” — Amazon customer
$40 at Amazon
Amazon
An extra-supportive foam kneeling pad
Soon-to-be-51-year-old Denise Vyse calls a foam mat a “MUST HAVE!!!!” Made from a high-density and shock-absorbing foam, this pad (available in 10 colors) claims to offer a superior level of cushioning for knees, even when placed over gravel, dirt or concrete. Measuring over an inch thick, the pad is slip- and water-resistant.
Promising Amazon review: “This is a great product!! I had a knee replacement and still have issues with the knee area. This pad has made it so much easier and more comfortable doing gardening. The Mrs. loves it and we have gotten a second she uses for cleaning and such.” — John J.
$17 at Amazon
Amazon
A pair of ergonomic and arthritis-friendly garden clippers
If you have limited dexterity or lack the hand strength required to cut through fibrous stems, branches or vines, this pair of ergonomic clippers might be worth the $22. The clippers have a lever-ratchet design for easy cutting and precision steel blades that are extra sharp. And to ensure safe storage, there’s a slider safety lock. These clippers are available in a few different colors and several different styles, like pruners and Japanese-style shears.
Promising Amazon review: “I like the ratchet type mechanism for … thick branches. Made it easy to cut and they’re sharp. Wiped up easy when I was done and ready for next job. Handle is different from most pruners and was comfortable in my small hands that I often get cramps or pain in. They are easy to lock shut when not in use.” — Kem
$22 at Amazon
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