Every hoe has to have an official portrait and this is it for the new stirrup hoe, purchased earlier this spring. What do you think? I thought the blue of the Blue Dogbane (Amsonia tabernaemontana) would complement the lovely blue of the hoe itself which is why I chose this spot and this time to take the picture.This is a fine hoe and quickly becoming one of my favorites. I've used it several times in the raised bed vegetable garden beds to clear out weeds and find it is easy to use, light enough that you don't feel like you are dragging a club through the ground, but substantial enough to whack off those weeds!
I've also added this portrait to the whole hoe collection post.
I'm always available to give advice on hoes, which ones to use for which occasions, which hoes to avoid, where to buy a good hoe, just ask! The only thing I don't know about hoes is how to stop acquiring them!
Does anyone else have more than one hoe? Is anyone gardening without a hoe?
Comments
You know before I met you and your impressive collection, I never thought about hoes at all. Not even about a scuffle hoe (schoffel) and they are Dutch. How very remiss of me. :-)
My husband, however, does use just a regular garden hoe for in between the rows of vegetables. I let him take care of those. :-)
But when I saw your link of the hoe collection...yes, now I know what you are talking about!
I don't use a hoe anymore, I use a 3 pronged fork like Yolanda Elizabet does.
But I do have one in the shed. ( wich I use before i had the forkything )
Maybe my english isn't all that, but I'm dutch, so forgive me. ;-)
— Susan from South of the River
The fourth hoe I have is similar to the first one but the blade is long and very narrow. all of them are pretty old with wooden handles.
However I don't really use any of them except the grub hoe. I don't have any row crops. We grow our veggies in a narrow raised bed and it is easier to use short hand tools or just pull the weeds.
bill
prairie point
Your hoe collection is impressive, Carol!
It looks like a small tiller, It's not really my weeder, what I use it for is to loosen up the top of the soil in order to plant seeds.
It's also good for leveling soil in preparing a bed to plant.
El... When I got this one, I knew it wasn't exactly the one you described, but I wanted to try it anyway. But someday, I'm sure I'll get an oscillating scuffle hoe. Maybe I'll treat myself at the end of May!
Kathy... It is true that hoes are very useful in vegetable gardens with rows, but most of my vegetable gardens are raised beds. I still use a hoe to work them over in the spring and then through the season. But just as often I am on my knees pulling weeds by hand or with hand tools!
Kylee... I also use the hand tools, but you are missing out on the hoeing by letting your husband do it all. You should give it a try.
Jalos... Your English is just fine. I also have a three pronged fork, both a hand tool and a long handled one. Both come in handy.
Susan... A starter hoe? I guess it depends on what you plan to hoe. For a good basic starter, I'd get a basic garden hoe from Rogue Hoe. They are very sharp, so you have to be careful, very careful.
Colleen... Okay, between your comment and El's, I think I need to get a scuffle hoe which I think is the same as the oscillating stirrup hoe she described.
Pam/Digging... Hoes can be fun... I'll just leave it at that.
Bill.. Truth be told, I don't use some of the hoes much at all. I, too, find hand tools more useful at times.
Kate... I don't have an acre, either. If you decide to get yourself a hoe, let me know and I can help you find one!
Sister with the Homestead... Most of your weeds are best pulled by hand, the old fashioned way. Then you can use a basic hoe in your garden and between the raised beds. Hoes are best used where you have some space that just needs to be cleared of all weeds, though there are hoes with smaller heads designed to be used in tight areas.
Eleanor... let's just say I have some that I don't use very often and leave it at that.
Layanee... Since you are the 3rd person to tell me I don't have the oscillating stirrup hoe, I'm just going to have to get one. I want to have a COMPLETE hoe collection.
Curtis... I obviously agree you can't have enough gardening tools.
Thanks all for the comments and support of my gardening hoe obsession. I hereby declare you are enablers, encouraging me like this!
I have searched everywhere on the web, but I cannot find a place to buy the Dewit Stirrup hoe. I tried your link to where you purchased it but to no avail. It's exactly what I want. Can you let me know how I can get one?
Another option, when I visited Natural Gardener in Austin, Texas, they had some for sale. You might call them and see if they would sell you one and ship it to you.
http://www.naturalgardeneraustin.com/
Good luck!