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A gardening tool extracts a weed along with a plug of soil. A plurality of blades are circumferentially spaced about an axis of a shaft and extend downwardly beyond the lower end of the shaft for insertion into soil about the roots. Each blade includes a trailing edge and a leading edge that leads

A gardening tool extracts a weed along with a plug of soil. A plurality of blades are circumferentially spaced about an axis of a shaft and extend downwardly beyond the lower end of the shaft for insertion into soil about the roots. Each blade includes a trailing edge and a leading edge that leads the trailing edge during rotation in a selected rotational direction about the axis. An ejector body is positioned between the blades and is axially movable from an upper position to a lower position to eject soil from between the blades. An ejector control member at least substantially surrounding the shaft is axially movable by hand. A plurality of connecting members are circumferentially spaced about the shaft and connect the ejector control member to the ejector body, such that axial movement of the ejector control member causes axial movement of the ejector body.

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The invention claimed is: 1. A gardening tool, comprising: a shaft rotatable about an axis, the shaft including an upper end and a lower end axially spaced from the upper end; a plurality of blades circumferentially spaced about the axis and extending downwardly beyond the lower end of the shaft fo

The invention claimed is: 1. A gardening tool, comprising: a shaft rotatable about an axis, the shaft including an upper end and a lower end axially spaced from the upper end; a plurality of blades circumferentially spaced about the axis and extending downwardly beyond the lower end of the shaft for insertion into soil about the roots, each blade including a trailing edge and a leading edge that leads the trailing edge during rotation in a selected rotational direction about the axis, each blade having a circumferential width substantially greater than its radial thickness along a majority of the length of each blade, the circumferential width of each blade being substantially perpendicular to the radial thickness of the respective blade, the trailing edge being tapered relative to the axis of the shaft along a majority of the length of each blade, and the leading edge when rotating forming a uniform diameter cylinder along the majority of the length of each blade, each blade having a flat interior surface to rotate soil radially interior of the interior surface of the blade and within the rotating blades; an ejector body positioned between the blades, the ejector body axially movable from an upper position to a lower position to eject soil from between the blades, each of the plurality of blades extending from a lower tip end to a blade upper end opposite the ejector body with respect to the lower tip end; an ejector control member at least substantially surrounding the shaft, the ejector control member axially movable by hand; and one or more axially extending connecting members circumferentially spaced about the shaft and connecting the ejector control member to the ejector body, such that axial movement of the ejector control member causes axial movement of the ejector body. 2. A gardening tool as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the one or more connecting member is circumferentially positioned between two of the blades. 3. A gardening tool as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the one or more connecting members is radially inward of a radially outermost portion of the blades. 4. A gardening tool as defined in claim 1, wherein a circumferential width of each of the plurality of blades decreases in the downward direction. 5. A gardening tool as defined in claim 1, further comprising: a blade plate at an upper end of the plurality of blades for connecting the blades, the shaft secured to the blade plate. 6. A gardening tool as defined in claim 5, wherein each of the one or more connecting members is in sliding contact with the blade plate during axial movement of the connecting members. 7. A gardening tool as defined in claim 6, wherein frictional contact between the blade plate and at least one of the one or more connecting members prevents axial movement of the ejector body by gravity. 8. A gardening tool as defined in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the ejector control member at least partially circumscribes the shaft, is in sliding contact with the shaft, and is supported on the shaft. 9. A gardening tool as defined in claim 1, wherein the ejector control member further comprises: one of a sleeve and a coil spring circumscribing the shaft. 10. A gardening tool as defined in claim 1, further comprising: a motor at the upper end of the shaft for rotating the shaft about the axis. 11. A gardening tool as defined in claim 1, further comprising: a hand crank at the upper end of the shaft for rotating the shaft about the axis. 12. A gardening tool for extracting vegetation having roots, the gardening tool comprising: a shaft rotatable about an axis, the shaft including an upper end, a lower end axially spaced from the upper end, and a shaft outer surface; a plurality of blades circumferentially spaced about the axis and extending downwardly beyond the lower end of the shaft for insertion into soil about the roots, each blade including a trailing edge and a leading edge that leads the trailing edge during rotation in a selected rotational direction about the axis, the leading edge of at least one blade being substantially non-tapered to extend in a direction substantially parallel to the axis, the trailing edge being tapered along at least 50% of the blade's length to extend in a direction angled relative to the axis, such that a circumferential width of the blade decreases in the downward direction, each blade having a circumferential width greater than its radial thickness along a majority of the length of each blade, the circumferential width of each blade being substantially perpendicular to the radial thickness of the respective blade, the plurality of blades forming a rotating blade diameter, each blade having a flat interior surface to rotate soil radially interior of the interior surface of the blade and within the rotating blades; a blade plate at an upper end of the blades for connecting the blades, the shaft secured to the blade plate, each of the plurality of blades extending from a lower tip end to a blade upper end opposite the ejector body with respect to the lower tip end; an ejector body positioned between the blades, the ejector body axially movable from an upper position to a lower position to eject soil from between the blades, the ejector body having a rotating body diameter less than the rotating blade diameter, such that the ejector body fits within a cylindrical hole in the ground formed by the plurality of rotating blades; an ejector control member at least substantially surrounding the shaft, the ejector control member axially movable by hand; one or more connecting members spaced circumferentially about the shaft such that each connecting member is circumferentially positioned between two of the blades, the one or more connecting members connecting the ejector control member to the ejector body such that axial movement of the ejector control member causes axial movement of the ejector body, each of the one or more connecting members is radially inward of a radially outermost portion of the blades, and is in sliding contact with the blade plate during axial movement of the connecting members; and frictional contact between the blade plate and at least one of the one or more connecting members prevents axial movement of the ejector body by gravity. 13. A gardening tool as defined in claim 12, further comprising: a motor or a hand crank at the upper end of the shaft for rotating the shaft about the axis. 14. A gardening tool as defined in claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of blades is spaced radially outward from the shaft outer surface. 15. A method for extracting vegetation having roots, the method comprising: providing a shaft rotatable about an axis, the shaft including an upper end and a lower end axially spaced from the upper end; circumferentially spacing a plurality of blades about the axis with the blades extending downwardly beyond the lower end of the shaft, each blade including a trailing edge and a leading edge that leads the trailing edge during rotation in a selected rotational direction about the axis, each blade having a circumferential width substantially greater than its radial thickness along a majority of the length of each blade, and at least one of the trailing edge and leading edge being tapered relative to the axis of the shaft along a majority of the length of each blade, and the leading edge when rotating forming a uniform diameter cylinder along the majority of the length of each blade, each blade having a flat interior surface to rotate soil within the rotating blades; positioning an ejector body between the blades, the ejector body axially movable from an upper position to a lower position, each of the plurality of blades extending from a lower tip end to a blade upper end opposite the ejector body with respect to the lower tip end; positioning an ejector control member at least substantially surrounding the shaft, the ejector control member axially movable by hand; circumferentially spacing one or more connecting members about the shaft and connecting the ejector control member to the ejector body with the one or more connecting members, such that axial movement of the ejector control member causes axial movement of the ejector body; moving the ejector control member to move the ejector body to the upper position prior to inserting the blades into the soil; frictionally contacting at least one of the one or more connecting members with a blade plate to resist axial movement of the ejector body to hold the ejector body in the upper position; moving the shaft downward to insert the blades into the soil about the roots; applying a torque to the shaft to rotate the blades in the selected direction about the axis; moving the blades upward to extract a portion of the soil and at least a portion of the vegetation; and moving the ejector control member by hand to move the ejector body from the upper position to the lower position to eject the extracted portion of the soil from between the blades. 16. A method as defined in claim 15, further comprising: the ejector body having a rotating body diameter less than the rotating blade diameter, such that the ejector body fits within a cylindrical hole in the ground formed by the plurality of rotating blades. 17. A method as defined in claim 15, further comprising: rotating the shaft with a hand crank.