Hand Cultivators (13 items found)

Growing a beautiful garden and attractive landscape requires more than just a green thumb. You also need the right gardening hand tools to prepare your planting sites and maintain your plants. Hand cultivators can come in clutch for a variety of tasks, and Ace Hardware can help you find the right one for your needs.

Should I Use a Hand Cultivator or Tiller?

Some may refer to these essential gardening tools interchangeably, but there is a clear difference between tilling and cultivating tools.

Hand Tillers

Before you even think of planting seeds and bulbs, tilling a garden bed is crucial if it has never been tilled before. Hand tillers feature durable metal tines with spiked ends that are designed to be driven into the soil, loosening soil, rocks, and debris for easy removal, so nothing gets in the way of developing roots. Designs may be truly handheld, or slightly larger with long shafts and a foot bar to make tilling easier.  

Hand Cultivators

If your garden bed is ready, you can use your hand cultivator to aerate the soil and mix soil amendments into your existing soil to get your plants off to the right start. Hand cultivators are small tools that feature a specially designed head that look like a mini rake. Like full-size rakes, cultivators have tines that are dulled and bend downward away from the handle. In addition, hand cultivators can help with your weed control efforts. Slide the tines underneath stubborn weeds to free the roots from the soil and make them easier to lift out.

Steel vs. Aluminum Cultivator Tools

As you shop for garden hand tools, you'll find two main kinds of material: stainless steel and aluminum. A steel cultivator or till is highly durable, so it can last through many growing seasons to come. Stainless steel also resists corrosion, so it can hold up well to the effects of acidic soils and amendments as well as to salty air in coastal areas.

An aluminum cultivator doesn't rust, meaning there's less worry about damage if you forget to put your tools away on a rainy day. Aluminum is also lightweight, so you may be able to use an aluminum tool for longer while experiencing less fatigue in your hands, wrists, and arms.

Shop Hand Tillers, Cultivators and Gardening Supplies at Ace

Ace Hardware is your one-stop shop for everything you need for your lawn and garden from seeds to pruners to specialty garden tools. Shop online for hand tillers and cultivators to find garden care essentials with quick delivery or in-store pick-up options available.

If you need help finding the right tools for your projects, stop into your neighborhood Ace location to shop our supply of essential gardening tools in person. Our knowledgeable staff can explain the difference between products and help you choose the cultivators, tillers and other gardening tools and supplies based on your garden's characteristics and your budget.