"Rod" wrote in message I thought only actual 'blades' should be
sharpened......Secateurs, knives (
if you use them) that kind of thing....

The trick with hoeing is to cut the weeds in half - ie separate the roots
from the top growth, that kills most things.
Many people use the hoe to dig out the weeds and the intact plants can
take root again as soon as you turn your back.
So yes - sharp. No problem with the Wolf hoe that Bob mentioned they
sharpen themselves if used correctly. Wolf also do
a combination tool with cultivator tines on the back - turn it over you've
got a cultivator, turn it over again you've
got a hoe. It's quite popular but if you use it to hoe amongst large leafy
plant the cultivator tines rip your plants.

I've looked at that combination tool and decided that I would probably rip
more of my plants to pieces than weeds. Can you imagine trying to use it on
a few rows of onions? :-)
So I've got the separate tools and the cultivator is excellent for loosening
the soil between potato rows before banking amongst other uses.

--
Bob

www.pooleygreengrowers.org.uk/ about an Allotment site in
Runnymede fighting for it's existence.