Hori-Hori, Yes please!

Yesterday, for my Birthday, I was presented with a very nice Hori-Hori for gardening. For those uninitiated a hori-hori is a Japanese gardening tool. It is a combination shovel, knife and saw which is about 8" long and usually comes with a holster that fits on your belt.

Today I wanted to remove some Kniphofa (Red Hot Poker) that had out grown its living quarters and get them ready for the Fall Green Elephant. Well, I was blown away by how big 2 had gotten and had to use my trusty #2 shovel and some well placed digging to work them out, and they were only 5 or 6 times bigger than any of my pots, so I set them aside, dug out all the others potted them whacking the excess soil and weeds away with the H-H, nice! One of the big ones I divided 5 ways with the H-H, then I planted the Narcissus 'Pheasant's Eye" that finally came in the mail (ordered in April) and refilled the trench with compost. The bulbs were huge, with 2 to 3 scales per bulb.

Then I hit the other side for planting more Narcissi and taking a 3rd shot at that darn comfrey and cutting down the Shasta Daisies which were well past prime. The H-H was not used with the comfrey or the planting of the bulbs, my small garden shovel worked well, but I started cutting down the Daisies with clippers, then thought how would the H-H do? Lets say it took some practice to be low and make a clean cut, but it took 1/3 the time.

The H-H is something I am proud to have in my quiver of tools.

But I doubt it will be used in digging out my Bamboo bush Fargesia rufa which has never done well, always getting Bamboo Mites, and now it is getting under my stairwell/deck which it is planted adjacent to. I may need to rent an entrenching tool to get it out, and an axe will be needed for divisions if wanted. But the H-H will be on my belt, just in case.

I have one and love it. Use it a lot for a lot of different things. One of the most useful tools I have. Money well spent.

Yes, they are worth every penny. Use mine all the time to cut out plants in my pots. Saves a lot of time and effort.

I have had one for 25 years. It is often my tool of choice for weeding or transplanting.

Do you all have the stainless steel knives or the black one that looks like iron? Don't know what it is. Am sure it isn't iron.

I looked at both when I bought mine and thought the black one looked like it would rust, even tho I am sure it won't, so I bought the ss one. Thought it would stay sharp longer. Also, it has the measure on the side of it.

Mine is black with no measure, but all is good. My bulb spade has a measure and I am guessing my H-H blade is about 6" for estimation. I understand black is the one of choice, but I know not why.

Don't know about preference, think all are good. I love mine. I especially like it for trimming the roots off of potted plants etc. Slices right thru.

I loaned mine to my sister to divide her irises and she liked it so well she went down and got her own. Not a whole lot of places carry them. I found most on line.

h-h are great!!! Mine is black as well, seems fine. (Black is carbon steel as opposed to stainless and will rust eventually, just take good care of it, wipe it down after use and before you put it away, oil it occasionally, etc).

Btw, I saw an awesome video of a guy using a recprocating saw ("sawzall") to divide his Fargesia bamboo. I don't see why it wouldn't work to help dig it up, either. I found the video on youtube but it was a while ago. Shouldn't be hard to find it, though, if you wanted to see it.

I have seen chain saws used to cut tree roots still in the soil. The only problem is that it dulls the chains terribly. But, can be done.

I have a pick axe that should be able to divide it up, and a #2 spade that should loosen it up pretty well. Especially after I destem the plant, then it typically looks far less intimidating.and for divisions that root it has to be done in the spring to get new rhizomes.

I have no Hori-Hori. Why do I have no Hori-Hori? Waaaaaah! I want a Hori-Hori!

Everybody needs a hori-hori!! Go get one!!

I just put it on my Amazon wish list- maybe I'll get it for Christmas. :)

That would be a wonderful Christmas gift. Good luck!!

nice thing about the reciprocating saw (There, see, I can spell it-it's only my fingers that can't) is that the blades are changeable and not too expensive. Another video used one to do maintenance pruning. After seeing those videos I was very supportive of DH getting the saw this summer. We picked one that is small enough (With decent balance) for me to comfortably use but still had adequate power for his project. Now that everything has suddenly grown it's amazing how much more tolerant of power tools I've become.

Pony, considering you're so close, you might check the Lakewold Gardens gift shop for a Hori-hori, too.

Lakewold does sell them for $22.00, but I don't have the moola to spare for non-essentials at the moment. My family is real good about giving me gardening stuff off my wish list for Christmas, so I'll most likely get one that way. :)

Pony, you should check them out and be specific whether you want the black steel one or the stainless. Also a holster. They are pretty sharp so should use it.

The one I put on my wish list is black and comes with a holster. :)

good choice.