Last Updated on October 31, 2022 by Real Men Sow
Quality Hand Forks For Planting, Weeding & Loosening Soil
Premium Planters Weed Fork
Classic Flower Fork
GARDENA
Solid Planters Weed Fork
Fiskars
The Best Garden Hand Forks
Are you looking for stainless steel hand tools? One of the best steel tools for your flower beds and soil in general is the humble hand fork. Garden tools such as forks will help you to loosen, turn and dig through soil, as well as to help get rid of nuisance weeds.
If you’re unsure what to look for, make sure to read our following guide and we will break down the best garden hand tools in the shape of weeding and soil forks online.
In This Review
Fiskars Premium Planters Weed Fork
Fiskars, again, is a really solid brand when it comes to all kinds of garden product lines. Used for planting, this fork is likely to help keep your toolkit free from all kinds of soil clogging. The stainless steel tines on the head will certainly dig deep, and as an overall product it is likely to make an impressive new addition to your toolshed. If you are used to having to bend to get on with cultivating, you’ll find this name brand makes light work of all the harder jobs for you.
Features
- Dimensions: 4.9 x 31.2 x .78cm
- Weight: 0.12kg
- Fork Material: Stainless Steel Alloy
Pros
- Impressive grip for a simple form
- Makes light work of many tough planting jobs
- One of the best looking forks on the list!
- One of several reliable products from the Fiskars line
Cons
- Not the cheapest of the items and products on our list
GARDENA Classic Flower Fork
This great-looking fork will make an ideal new addition as a part of your new gardening toolkit. Offering a great ergonomic handle and high quality steel manufacture in the blade, you can be sure that your plants are getting the best product for your money. It’s certainly middle in the price range out there, but it’s the tool performance that matters. It’s extremely long lasting and can be used for all kinds of jobs.
Features
- Dimensions: 30 x 8 x 3.3cm
- Weight: 0.175kg
- Fork Material: Steel
Pros
- Extremely durable steel head
- Very comfortable handle
- Great for planting and turning soil, can be used for various jobs
- Comes with a new 25 year warranty
Cons
- May be a little pricey for some gardeners for this kind of tool
Fiskars Solid Planters Weed Fork, Length: 26 cm
This amazingly priced alternative to a long handled fork is great for all kinds of garden jobs. However, its three tines are likely to be best for planting, as the name suggests. Fiskars tends to be a really good brand for this kind of thing, and reinforced fibreglass helps to make this particular tool that little bit more durable and long lasting.
Features
- Dimensions: 26.3 x 7.8 x 4cm
- Weight: 0.09kg
- Fork Material: Fibreglass
Pros
- Very low price
- Handle is really comfortable to use
- Great design
- Ideal tool for long term gardening
Cons
- May not be as good as other steel handle and blade tool choices
Spear and Jackson 5110WF Traditional Stainless Steel
This long handled fork is robust, durable, and you have the added benefit of Spear and Jackson’s expertise in the bargain. It boasts mirror polished stainless steel, meaning that you can rely on it to weather through all kinds of soil conditions. It’s also nice and gentle on your knuckles, too, and with the brand being award-winners, you know you’re getting a good, solid quality product that will endeavour the months and years ahead.
Features
- Dimensions: 46 x 8 x 3.99cm
- Weight: 0.22kg
- Fork Material: Stainless Steel
Pros
- Really lightweight for the build
- Durable for years to come
- Nice and easy to grip and use
- Fantastic manufacturer
Cons
- None to really speak of!
Spear and Jackson Kew Gardens 5510KEW Stainless Steel Weed Fork with 40-Inch Handle
Wow – this garden fork really does do the business with a handle this length! Great for furrowing and working with larger gardens and soil patches, you’re always going to have plenty of reach with this marvellous creation from Spear and Jackson. It’s stainless steel, which really is the go-to standard for making sure your tools are protected against soil and loam long-term. It’s extremely popular on Amazon, too.
Features
- Dimensions: 124.5 x 7.7 x 4cm
- Weight: 0.65kg
- Fork Material: Stainless Steel
Pros
- Really robust against rust and weathering
- Fantastic brand appeal
- Great length for most digging jobs
- Fairly affordable
Cons
- Not exactly lightweight compared to others
Do I need a hand garden fork?
A hand garden hand fork is a fantastic tool to have for any garden space, as it helps you to get down into the toughest of soil!
There are plenty of reasons why you’ll need hand tools like garden forks to get down into the soil in your garden. For example, you will likely need to aerate the soil if you are trying to encourage specific plants to grow or if you are seeding or planting bulbs for the first time.
However, you can also use forks for turning over all kinds of plants and organic matters. Essentially, a reliable garden hand fork is your ally against soil and everything in it, and it saves you have to get your fingers in and to do all of the digging by hand!
We’d really recommend hand tools such as a fork and a trowel for your gardens – they are essential tools for maintaining and setting up flower beds, and for soil gardening in general. The picks for the best garden tools in this line are listed above – and we’ve gone to some serious effort to find the best rated and reviewed options available on the web for you!
Are hand forks good for loosening soil?
Yes – you can use a gardening hand fork for loosening soil or for digging deep – whichever jobs you require.
To loosen the soil it’s really easy to plant your garden hand fork into the soft stuff and to just gently twist and turn. That’s why it is so important to look for a comfortable handle and grip as well as a blade or head that’s going to be resistant against weather and moisture.
We really like using a hand fork for turning over soil as it means we can get comfortably into the dirt without having to bend. So – if you prefer digging close up and don’t mind crouching in, these steel tined wonders really are worth the money.
Can you use a hand fork for weeding?
Yes, these tools are great to help with the weeding, and as a bit of free advice, we’d say you should make light work of buying a garden hand fork that’s made and designed to specifically pull out weeds.
While a trowel will help you dig, a fork will help you to turn over soil and give you top support in getting all kinds of weeds out of the ground. It’s probably easier to get down close – ideal for many gardeners – to really dig through the weeds by hand as opposed to with a rake or hoe.
Save the rake and the hoe for the jobs they are intended for – trust us on this!
How do you use a weeding fork
Working with a weeding fork is pretty easy. It’s pretty much just a case of digging in deep and twisting away at the roots!
Don’t be afraid to work your fork deep into the soil, gently turning the tines to root out nuisance bits and pieces. When it comes to getting rid of small to medium weeds, there is no real right or wrong way for you to really attack them – just make sure you start digging down deep and twisting down into the roots.
It’s a good idea to work with a weeding fork as opposed to a long fork if you want to really get down into the deeper roots and weeds which aren’t always so easy to spot. If you’ve never used a fork for weeding before, it makes sense to try and hunt down the right gardening tools to bolster your weeding routine.
How do you maintain hand forks?
Maintaining hand forks is much like maintaining a trowel blade or a spade. You’re going to need to ensure that you clean them regularly with a wet rag as well as to oil them down to make sure that they stay resistant against rust.
Maintaining a hand fork is easier than you might think. If you have stainless steel hand tools, these are likely to keep and maintain out of tools available out there. Rust resistant tools and handles are great if you really want to keep using them for years to come. Of course, a lifetime warranty or guarantee won’t go amiss, either!