Your Old Fork Could Become Your New Favorite Upcycled Garden Tool

When deciding on the most essential gardening tools to keep in our garden sheds, we tend to focus on heavy-duty, long-handled items like leaf rakes and sturdy spades. Hand tools like garden forks and trowels come in handy for smaller jobs. Even these can, however, be too large to gently untangle delicate root systems, which gardeners often need to do when planting seedlings or transplants. With specialty root rakes costing anywhere between $4 and $40, you can actually DIY this simple but useful tool. 

Surprisingly, you can make a handy root rake from an old fork. That's exactly what YouTuber Green Bengal did. He found a creative way to repurpose an old or unwanted item into a sturdy (and best of all, free) tool. But why are root rakes important to have in your gardening tool belt? Sometimes, the plant's roots have grown so dense that your only choice is to manually separate them. After all, a root-bound plant has limited room for soil, which can make it harder to access the water and nutrients it needs.

When you're preparing to move a seedling or transplant into a larger pot, you want the root system to be nice and loose. It's easier to spread loose roots out before plopping the plant right into its new home. Gently loosening the roots can also help the plant grow stronger, as well. So by using a DIY root rake, you are taking care of your plants and their roots. 

To make your own root rake per Green Bengal's YouTube tutorial, all you'll need is a sturdy old dinner fork and a pair of pliers. Use the pliers to bend each tine of a four-tined dinner fork with a comfortable handle, angling the tines forward and slightly outward. Ideally, aim for a 90-degree angle, with two tines angled slightly left and two slightly to the right. The result should look remarkably like a pricey store-bought root rake. 

If you're having trouble using the pliers by themselves, at least one Redditor has reported success softening the metal with a blowtorch prior to moving on to the bending-with-pliers stage. It's also a commonly used trick when making jewelry from metal forks. If you don't already own one, look for those labeled as "jewelry torches." Butane torches are usually the most compact and likely ideal for this job. Needless to say, it's important to exercise caution when working with live flames. Have a fire extinguisher nearby, keep windows in the room open, and if you have a fan, turn it on as well. Protect your skin and eyes by wearing safety glasses, long sleeves, and gloves. 

When preparing to transplant a root-bound plant, use your DIY root rake to loosen the bottom and sides of the root ball, leaving some soil at the top and through the middle. It's now ready for a bigger pot. Of course, homemade root rakes can also serve a purpose beyond readying a young plant for a larger pot. If you're about to transplant seedlings into your outdoor garden, for example, it's important to loosen the roots prior to planting them in a garden bed. Your newly created root rake (aka transformed household fork) will be the perfect tool for the job!