Kay Easton wrote in
:

Is he right?
Depends. If your plants are in a straight row, then you can use a hoe
to slide along between the rows just below soil level cutting off all
the weed seedlings. You can do this between randomly planted plants,
but there's a greater danger of inadvertantly cutting the plants.

Hmmm.....Generally my plants are in a hodgepodge....
They simply grew where the seeds fell!
(Yes...This was probably a bit of bad planning on my part!

Disadvantages that I see in using a hoe (YMMV)
a) You have to stand up. I like jobs i can do sitting down.

I don't mind standing a lot....

b) You don't get to see all the interesting new things that have
seeded themselves, and thus miss the opportunity of acquiring for free
plants that haven't grown in your garden before or plants that you
already grow but could do with extra specimens of.

Hmmm....All I seems to get is dandilions and nettles!

c) Takes a long time to deal with perennial weeds - you've more chance
of ridding yourself of dandelions if you dig up the roots than if you
merely hoe the tops off

Thats what I have been doing so far....
I haven't come accross any deep rooted weeds in a while...They are all
within an inch of so of the surface....

d) the hoe disturbs the top layer of soil and ancourages a whole lot
more weed seeds to germinate.

Oh....Didn't know that....

You can buy long handled trowels - no good for standing, but could be
used sitting on a low stool, if this were any better for you.

Not really.....

But in your situation, it sound like a hoe would be a good idea.

Right.....I juts saw in a magazine a kind of cushion that you can take
around with you ....A sort of inverted stool really....You seem to kneel on
a hard board with a padded area on it...
It seems to be aimed at older gardeners.....But I don't think that will
matter.....B-)