Good hoe: what is it and how to choose the right one

What’s this

The garden hand hoe is used for weeding, aerating the soil, hilling and creating small holes or rows. This tool is one of the oldest agricultural tools. Drawings of hoe designs are similar among different peoples, which explains the convenience and usefulness of a hand tool for tillage. So, made by hand, the tool looks like a steel spatula, in the eye of which a handle is inserted at a right angle to the blade.

The hoe is a self-sharpening wedge with cutting edges. It is very convenient, because the work can be carried out by all three of its sides. Penetrating into the dense earth, it not only loosens the top layer, but automatically forms grooves that can be used for sowing seeds. The high-quality steel of the tool is sharpened specifically to ensure self-sharpening. A light hoe allows you to mow large weeds, but not turn over the layer of earth.

The principle of the hoe was taken as the basis for the development of a super advanced tool called a cultivator. The main field of use: continuous processing of the soil, processing of row spacing from weeds and loosening of the soil. The cultivator consists of two knives, which are located at an angle of 45 degrees. As a result, the soil does not stick and does not clog the cultivator. It is possible to adjust the depth of tillage, change knives, which are made of super strong steel. Working with a hand tool, consisting of a frame with a wheel and five nozzles, is easy, very convenient. Much faster work in the garden.

Practical application

Intuitively, we understand how easy it is to work with a hoe or, in the common people, a chopper. Given the size of the land, for many gardeners the main thing is not the quality, but the super speed of the work performed. Comfortable operation is ensured by a long handle, which should match your physique. Varieties of hoes are explained by their intended use.

The universal hoe in its design has a solid working surface, while the Dutch model, on the contrary, has a hole in the working surface, which, on the one hand, facilitates the entire structure, and on the other hand, allows the soil to be sieved during weeding and loosening.

A wide garden slipper is convenient for hilling ordinary plantings. If the soil is sandy, it is advisable to purchase a tool with a wide blade and, conversely, a narrow hand hoe is suitable for stony and clay soils. The rounded shape of the work surface is much more comfortable and durable. If the rows with vegetables in your garden are closely located, you need to choose a narrow but elongated hoe. This will make it possible to remove weeds and not harm useful plants.

Amateur gardeners can make some improvements to the tool with their own hands, for example, make a convenient bend or a round knob at the end. With the help of a hoe, you can clear the path of grass, thanks to its pointed side edges. A mini hoe in the shape of a plow tooth will help with loosening the soil, hilling plants and collecting uprooted weeds. For the formation of lawns, a garden hoe with an oval working canvas is suitable. A manual onion chopper (its width is only 7 cm) is suitable for inter-row work at the initial stage of plant germination.

The hoe has two functional ends, of different shapes and widths. With its help you can loosen the soil in the vineyards, the convenience is provided by the compact handle. To make a hoe with your own hands from a regular bayonet shovel or a shovel with a rectangular tray, you need to align, cut at 45 degrees and sharpen its edges. The use of a heavy handle on the tool can increase the effectiveness of its use.

Experience, skillful coordination of movements when working with a hoe – the basis of successful work in the garden. The methods of work also differ depending on the cultivated beds. In narrow places, your movements must be precise and sharp; on wide plantations, long movements are allowed, as is the case with a plow.

No need to discount a hand cultivator with different attachments. It additionally mechanizes work in the garden, crawls into any bed where you need to “plow” the ground. A cultivator with a nozzle with stars will help with weeding. The rotary type cultivator is indispensable for hilling potatoes and cucumbers. A device with three or five curved, pointed teeth will easily break the crust even in heavily packed soil.

Description

Hoe universal triangular shape is used for weeding. It has sharp corners, thanks to which it can easily make V-shaped furrows during seed sowing. If the hoe has blades beveled at a right angle, it is ideal for hilling. For lawns, a special miracle hoe is suitable, with whose help it is very convenient to cut the edges of the lawn, but it is completely inconvenient to use it for weeding or hilling. 

The ease of use of the hoe is also related to the angle of inclination to the ground of the tool. For loosening and weeding weeds, work must be carried out at a certain angle to the ground. An adjustable miracle hoe can be obtained by using two bolts – a swivel and a fixing one. You can make a tool with your own hands: the bolt must be passed through the hole so that it serves as an axis through which the blade will rotate.

In practice, a tool with a curved concave blade has proven itself well. It is equipped with a stiffener, light and reliable, with a wide range of applications. To increase the functions of a super tool, other types of tools are often attached to a hoe – a rake, a pitchfork or a scythe, while changing the name, which is trying to attract potential buyers.

Based on this, before buying a super hoe for your household, decide what exactly you need it for. Remember that on the counter there is a universal and Dutch hoe. When choosing the width of the hoe, pay attention to the material of the blade, its width, as well as the angle of inclination. For the safety of your hands, make sure that the handle on the hoe is perfectly smooth.

Video “Hoe: instructions for use”

Advantages

The most versatile tool for cultivating the soil with your own hands is, of course, a hoe. Made from super hardened steel, it is great for working in heavy ground. Sharpened edges on all sides give it a huge advantage over other tools. The Dutch and ordinary chopper look like a trapezoid. The wedge shape allows it to easily enter even dry, hard ground and loosen it.

Due to the fact that the two sides of the wedge are sharpened and can be used as cutting planes, the hoe weeds well. For loosening the soil, similarly, the tool turns in different directions, depending on the convenient work option. As a flat cutter, it is advisable to use a hoe if the earth is loose enough in the beds. The tool is very sharp and can cut thick roots, additional sharpening is possible for a straight edge.

What is a quality hoe

We examined the functionality of the hoe, as well as all its varieties, in the article, but when they say good, then specifically, what do they mean in relation to this tool? Yes, with a hoe it is easy to loosen the soil and remove weeds. It must be strong and well sharpened. The working surface of the tool must be made of high-strength steel.

Aeration of the earth occurs when the blocks on the site are broken into very small pieces. Since there is constant pressure on the hand when working with a hoe, an ergonomic handle is essential. If you have a hoe among your garden tools, you are calm, as it is:

• multifunctional tool;
• light and reliable;
• with self-sharpening work surface.

The modern hoe is one of the most effective tools indispensable in your garden.

Video “Wonder hoe for easy weeding”

To understand the main advantages of this tool, we advise you to watch the following video. In it, you will find out why you should stop at this particular tool.