How to use a cultivator - desiquintans.com

A cultivator is a three-fingered claw on a stick. A cultivator is a gardener’s implement that looks like a three-fingered claw on a stick, and although it’s a pretty common thangymabob to have lying around, a lot of people don’t know exactly how to use one.

A cultivator’s main function is to break up the soil in order to:

Allow air to get in (micro-organisms like air).
Control weeds, because if the ground is loose, then weeds will not have a solid foundation to root in and will be easier to remove.
Aid water penetration. If the soil surface is not smooth or hardened, then water will be absorbed and there won't be so much run-off, meaning more water gets to plant roots.

Look at them claws!

This three-pronged attack (ahem) is effected by pushing the Claw into the ground and pulling towards you, which will dislodge clumps of dirt with can be Clawed over to further break them up. Once you’ve broken up all those little dirt clods you can use the Cultivator as a Levelling Rake to flatten the area. Start by raking from one side, then rake from the top, then from the diagonals. If you did it right you should have these cute little parallel hills, like the ones you can’t see here.

This soil was too loose to make little hills.

You can also use a Cultivator as a really bad Leaf Rake — but limit it to large leaves and whole religious pamphlets.

The gaps between prongs only allow for large leaf and printed propaganda collection.

When you’re not willing to fork out the AU$30 or so for a tennis ball thrower, a Cultivator can also be employed as a picker-upper of your dog’s toys.

Red football inside Green Claw = Watermelon tool?

Or you can just whack your dog with it.

Meep!

But you really shouldn’t.

P.S. The Cultivator shown here is the least expensive you can get in Australia. It is made by Saxon Tools, has a metal head and a wooden handle, and costs $7. Kinda short, though — even at my standards.