Gardening tools
 

Does anyone know of a site that will teach me about the different types of
tools and what is best for certain jobs?

I was out weeding today and an old boy came past and made the comment that
I would be quicker and better using a hoe....

Is he right?
I was simply on my knees using a trowl....
But I would much rather use a long handled tool as I injured my knees a
while ago and getting on my knees can be a little painful after a while....

This may sound like an insane question but with the other comments about
the claw tools.....

Gardening tools
 

In article , Rick McGreal
writes
Does anyone know of a site that will teach me about the different types of
tools and what is best for certain jobs?

I was out weeding today and an old boy came past and made the comment that
I would be quicker and better using a hoe....

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.

Disadvantages that I see in using a hoe (YMMV)

a) You have to stand up. I like jobs i can do sitting down.
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.
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
d) the hoe disturbs the top layer of soil and ancourages a whole lot
more weed seeds to germinate.

I was simply on my knees using a trowl....
But I would much rather use a long handled tool as I injured my knees a
while ago and getting on my knees can be a little painful after a while....

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.

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


--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

Gardening tools
 

"Rick wrote in message
Does anyone know of a site that will teach me about the different types of
tools and what is best for certain jobs?

I was out weeding today and an old boy came past and made the comment that
I would be quicker and better using a hoe....

Is he right?
I was simply on my knees using a trowl....
But I would much rather use a long handled tool as I injured my knees a
while ago and getting on my knees can be a little painful after a
while....

Having an allotment (actually two) we have a selection of hoes for weeding,
seed drills, spud banking etc., also both long handled and hand hoes.
My favourite for the allotment weeding is one made by Wolf Tools and is
their "Push Pull Weeder" the smaller of the two available is the one to get,
easier to use and get between plants. Handles come separate and in different
lengths so you can get the length that suits you. Their other tools fit the
same handle and are all good quality.
Their hand held small onion hoe is good too.

The secret is to ensure they are always sharp and cleaned after use.

--
Bob

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

Gardening tools
 

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-)

Gardening tools
 

"Sue & Bob Hobden" wrote in
:

Having an allotment (actually two) we have a selection of hoes for
weeding, seed drills, spud banking etc., also both long handled and
hand hoes. My favourite for the allotment weeding is one made by Wolf
Tools and is their "Push Pull Weeder" the smaller of the two available
is the one to get, easier to use and get between plants. Handles come
separate and in different lengths so you can get the length that suits
you. Their other tools fit the same handle and are all good quality.
Their hand held small onion hoe is good too.

Hmmm.....Worth looking out for....

The secret is to ensure they are always sharp and cleaned after use.

Sharp?
I thought only actual 'blades' should be sharpened......Secateurs, knives (
if you use them) that kind of thing....

Gardening tools
 

In message , Rick McGreal
writes
d) the hoe disturbs the top layer of soil and ancourages a whole lot
more weed seeds to germinate.

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

OTOH, in the longer term repeated hoeing reduces the quantities of these
whereas not disturbing the top layer would simply leave many of them to
sit and wait until they are disturbed

--
dave @ stejonda

?why do Americans chatter during live theatre?

Gardening tools
 

"Rick McGreal" wrote in message ...
Sharp?
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.

Rod

Gardening tools
 

"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.

Gardening tools
 

"Kay wrote in message
Disadvantages that I see in using a hoe (YMMV)

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

Not my understanding, the hoe loosens the top layer of soil which dries out,
becoming a mulch in effect, and then prevents germination of more seeds,
unless it rains again. :-)

However, if you don't grow in rows then a hoe is difficult to use without
doing damage to your plants.

--
Bob

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

--
Bob

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

Gardening tools
 

In article , Sue & Bob Hobden
writes

"Kay wrote in message
Disadvantages that I see in using a hoe (YMMV)

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

Not my understanding, the hoe loosens the top layer of soil which dries out,
becoming a mulch in effect, and then prevents germination of more seeds,
unless it rains again. :-)

Dries out? Not in Yorkshire!;-)



--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

Gardening tools
 

some people like to hoe but like you I much prefer to kneel down and use a
small hand fork ........much less risk of damage to plant roots and when
things are closely planted a hand fork or even just deft hands are better
After the recent rains weeding is a doddle


"Rick McGreal" wrote in message
...
Does anyone know of a site that will teach me about the different types of
tools and what is best for certain jobs?

I was out weeding today and an old boy came past and made the comment that
I would be quicker and better using a hoe....

Is he right?
I was simply on my knees using a trowl....
But I would much rather use a long handled tool as I injured my knees a
while ago and getting on my knees can be a little painful after a
while....

This may sound like an insane question but with the other comments about
the claw tools.....

Gardening tools
 

"bnd777" wrote in message ...

After the recent rains weeding is a doddle

You don't have clay soil then!

--
Bob

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

Gardening tools
 

"Rick McGreal" wrote in message
...
Does anyone know of a site that will teach me about the different types of
tools and what is best for certain jobs?

I was out weeding today and an old boy came past and made the comment that
I would be quicker and better using a hoe....

Is he right?
I was simply on my knees using a trowl....
But I would much rather use a long handled tool as I injured my knees a
while ago and getting on my knees can be a little painful after a
while....

This may sound like an insane question but with the other comments about
the claw tools.....


Try this one Rick, maybe something interesting for you there :)

http://www.powen.freeserve.co.uk/tools/

or this one


http://www.landscapeplanner.co.uk/ch...ng%20tools.htm


--

Shan (Ireland)
http://ukdiscus.com/main.htm
--

Gardening tools
 

"shannie" wrote in
:

Try this one Rick, maybe something interesting for you there :)
http://www.powen.freeserve.co.uk/tools/
or this one
http://www.landscapeplanner.co.uk/ch...tting%20tools.
htm

These are great....
Thanks!