Which Garden Hoes Are Right For You?
Without futher ado, I give you the uses for garden hoes and which ones go where the best.
Best for Weeding:
The Dutch and draw hoes take some beating for general weeding and are highly recommended for general use
But for weeding between close planted vegetables, flowers and shrubs the short handled onion hoe is recommended
Also for general weeding:
The swoe can be difficult to get used to with the neck being on one side of the blade only - rather than in the middle. It can be awkward to manoeuver between plants as it is not centrally balanced
The triangular hoe is not very manageable and with three sharp points you are bound to hit a plant stem sooner rather than later
The circle hoe is not as effective as the Dutch or draw hoe for general weeding and can be difficult to guide close to plants, the short handled one is acceptable for on-your-knees work. There is also less cutting edge of the blade in contact with the soil compared to other hoes
The oscillating hoe is excellent for weeding between straight rows of plants, especially vegetables It is not very manageable between close planted vegetables, flowers and plants
\The Warren hoe is an American invention and is ideal for making seed drills, furrows and single planting holes
The tined hoe is perfect for uprooting individual small weeds around plants
For breaking up the soil surface
The Dutch hoe is recommended for breaking up the soil surface which it does well.
The short handled onion hoe is ideal for breaking up the soil surface in between closely planted vegetables and flowers and is recommended
The draw hoe can also be used for breaking up the soil surface of small areas. The problem with the draw hoe is it is pulled towards you while walking forwards, so you end up walking on the area you have just hoed, compacting the soil surface again
The Canterbury hoe is ideal for breaking up large areas of very hard compacted soil. It can be heavy, awkward to use for any length of time and is not recommended for using close to plants
For Hilling Up
The draw hoe is excellent for earthing up the likes of celery and leeks and is recommended
The short handled onion hoe is also good at earthing up the likes of celery, leeks and other vegetables providing you don't have too many to do
So to sum up - what garden hoes do you need?
For a small flower garden, a draw hoe for general weeding and, if necessary, a short handled onion hoe for weeding in between flowers planted close together
For a large flower garden, a Dutch hoe for general weeding and a short handled onion hoe for weeding in between flowers planted close together
For a vegetable garden, a Dutch hoe for general weeding, a draw hoe for earthing up and a short handled onion hoe for weeding in between closely planted vegetables and for thinning out
There you are, now you understand why some people collect hoes (well, maybe not but you at least know what to do with them now) :-)
That's about it for garden hoes, all you need now is to decide which ones you want.
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