Cat(h) wrote:
[...]
Still on weeds, I took the hoe to the veg patch for what I figured
would be the last weeding session of the year. I did no different
from what I would do during the summer, but instead of withering,
the
weeds I topped with the hoe just seem to have recovered... and
re-taken root. Is it because the sun is not about to bake them? Is
it because it is wetter now? Should I just forget about weeds
till
Spring? (and I admit that if the answer to this is yes, I will be
most willing to oblige!!)

I'd do it again, if possible. Yes, they will often re-grow after
hoeing, especially in moist conditions: sometimes the hoe leaves the
crown of the weed intact (hoeing too shallow), and sometimes it just
leaves the whole weed plant on the surface, roots, leaves and all
(hoeing too deep). A bugger, isn't it? It helps if you keep your hoe
sharp with a scythe-stone or something. Running through the rows with
a Dutch hoe shouldn't be strenuous work; but in my bitter experience
you'll particularly get the above versions of regrowth if the soil is
stony.

A great tool I haven't got is the Wilkinson "swoe": it's like a Dutch
hoe, but with only one "arm", so you can cut backwards and forwards
with both leading and trailing edges. Seize one with alacrity if you
ever see it second-hand, or invest the rather excessive number of
Euro or quid to buy a new one.

--
Mike.