About this product
Full description
Most planting jobs are obvious. Dig a hole the size of the rootball, drop the plant in, firm the soil around it. Done. But there's a particular kind of planting that calls for a different tool — slipping a bulb in between two established perennials, transplanting a seedling into a tight space in a packed border, planting at consistent depth across a row. A standard hand trowel is too wide; a dibber is too narrow. The transplanter is the answer in the middle.
The Burgon & Ball BoronGreen Transplanter has a narrow boron-steel blade designed to slide cleanly into established planting without disturbing surrounding roots. Crucially, it has engraved depth markings on the blade — a small but properly useful feature for anyone planting bulbs or rows of seedlings where consistent depth matters.
Made by Burgon & Ball, the Sheffield toolmaker who've been making garden tools since 1730. RHS-endorsed and backed by a 25-year guarantee. Supplied to us through our partners at AllotMate, who curate proper, well-made tools for gardeners and allotmenteers who'd rather buy once.
Why a transplanter
For most everyday digging, a standard hand trowel does the job beautifully. The transplanter earns its place in three specific situations:
- Working between established plants — slipping bulbs or plug plants into gaps in a packed border without lifting roots or disturbing settled soil structure
- Planting at consistent depth — the engraved markings on the blade let you set bulbs at three times their height (the standard rule) or seedlings at the depth their packet recommends, every time, without measuring
- Tight container and raised-bed work — fits into spaces where a wider trowel would damage surrounding planting
It's a specialist tool — not the everyday hand trowel that lives in your basket, but the one you reach for on the days the standard tool isn't quite right. For serious bulb planters and anyone who packs their borders properly, it earns its keep quickly.
The depth markings
The depth scale engraved on the blade is the genuinely distinctive feature here. Most transplanters don't have one — and most gardeners don't realise how useful it is until they've had one. Three things it makes easier:
- Bulbs at the right depth — the rule of thumb is three times the bulb's height (so a 5cm tulip bulb wants a 15cm hole). The markings let you check at a glance rather than guess
- Consistent rows — when planting a row of seedlings or sowing a row of larger seeds, every plant goes in at the same depth. Even germination, even growth, even rows
- Confidence in tricky planting — for plants where depth matters significantly (lilies, dahlias, certain perennials), you can plant with the assurance that the depth is right rather than approximated
What makes BoronGreen different
The BoronGreen range is Burgon & Ball's premium engineering and sustainability line:
- Boron steel — stronger and tougher than standard carbon steel, holds an edge longer, lighter for the same strength
- 80% recycled steel content — meaningful sustainability built into the source material. For a 25-year-guaranteed tool, that's a properly considered choice
- Distinctive green powder-coated finish — protects against rust and makes the tool easy to spot when working in dense planting
- FSC-certified white ash handle with the dark inlay and Burgon & Ball ampersand
The technical case for boron steel is covered in more detail across our other BoronGreen listings — they form a coherent matching range.
When you'll reach for it
- Naturalising bulbs in lawns, mixed borders, or wild patches — particularly snowdrops, crocuses, alliums, and the smaller spring bulbs
- Adding bulbs to established planting — between the existing perennials in autumn for a layered spring
- Transplanting seedlings from modules into borders or pots, particularly amongst settled planting
- Planting plug plants in tight spaces where a wider trowel would damage neighbours
- Container planting — particularly mixed pots and troughs where multiple plants share a small footprint
- Anywhere precision matters more than volume — the trowel for the patient end of planting work
Part of the BoronGreen range
This transplanter pairs naturally with the rest of our BoronGreen range — matching aesthetic, matching engineering, matching 25-year guarantee:
- BoronGreen Hand Trowel — for everyday digging and planting
- BoronGreen Hand Fork — for weeding, loosening, and lifting
- BoronGreen Claw Cultivator — for soil aeration and seedbed prep
- BoronGreen Mid-Handled Trowel — for back-of-border and raised-bed planting with less bending
- BoronGreen Mid-Handled Fork — for cultivating raised beds and the back of borders
- BoronGreen Transplanter (this) — for precision planting in tight spaces
Together they form a coherent premium hand-tool kit with a meaningful sustainability story. If you're investing in proper kit, the matching range looks and feels intentional rather than scattered.
Looking after it
- Wipe the blade clean after each use, particularly after damp or sappy work
- Dry properly before hanging — the powder-coated finish resists rust well, but appreciates not being stored damp
- The ash handle can be lightly oiled with linseed oil once or twice a year to keep it conditioned
- Hang from the paper cord rather than leaving it on the floor
- Avoid using it as a lever — the narrow blade is engineered for clean penetration, not prising. For lifting stones or stumps, use a proper crowbar
- The depth markings can be cleaned with a soft brush if soil obscures them after a long session
As a gift
Particularly thoughtful for:
- A serious bulb planter — the depth markings are exactly the kind of small thoughtful detail they'll notice and appreciate
- A cottage gardener with packed borders — the narrow blade is the right tool for slipping things in between settled perennials
- A new gardener with serious intent — investing in something they'll have for decades
- An allotmenteer who works through significant quantities of seedlings
- Pair with a packet of bulbs — particularly the smaller spring bulbs — for a complete autumn-planting gift
- Pair with the rest of the BoronGreen range for a substantial matching gift
About Burgon & Ball
Burgon & Ball have been making garden tools in Sheffield since 1730, drawing on the city's centuries-old expertise in steel. They hold the official Royal Horticultural Society endorsement — a designation given to tools that meet exacting standards for performance, durability, and design. The BoronGreen range represents their commitment to sustainable manufacturing, using high-recycled-content steel without compromising the performance that has made their tools trusted for nearly three centuries. We're proud to stock their range; British-made tools at this quality are increasingly rare.
Specifications
- Range: Burgon & Ball BoronGreen
- Blade: narrow boron steel with engraved depth markings
- Recycled content: 80% recycled steel
- Finish: distinctive green powder coat
- Handle: FSC-certified white ash with dark inlay and the Burgon & Ball ampersand
- Storage: twisted paper hanging cord
- Endorsement: Royal Horticultural Society approved
- Guarantee: 25 years
- Made by: Burgon & Ball, Sheffield (since 1730)
- Supplied through: AllotMate
The transplanter is one of those tools you don't realise you need until you've used a good one. The borders that look effortless in summer — the surprise pop of a tulip between the geraniums, the layered drift of crocuses through the lawn, the late-season alliums emerging amongst the salvias — were planted by someone with the right narrow tool, in the right narrow gap, at the right depth. Tools like this make those small moments possible.
What's included
Care and use
- Wipe the blade clean, particularly after damp or sappy work
- Clean soil from the depth markings with a soft brush if obscured
STORAGE:
- Dry before hanging; the powder coat resists rust but dislikes damp storage
- Hang from the twisted paper cord, off the floor
HANDLE:
- Lightly oil the FSC ash handle (linseed oil) once or twice a year
USE:
- Don't use as a lever/pry bar - the narrow blade is for clean penetration,
not prising. Use a proper crowbar for stones and stumps.
GUARANTEE:
- 25-year guarantee
Pairs well with
Other products from the potting shed that work alongside this one.
