By hand or hoe?

[moggssue]

Now that all my babies (well, okay, SOME of my babies) are showing themselves on the lottie, so are trillions of ikkle weeds. I've been weeding by hand so as not to disturb the newly sprung veg, but as the season goes on, this is going to get very difficult/tedious, given the number of beds x the number of weeds x the rate of growth and etc etc ...

So, what do you do?? Do you hoe around the vegs, and if so how do you avoid chopping them off in their prime (which I'm very worried Ill do ) ??

[zazen999]

Hand - couch [Kowtch] grass and deep rooted stuff like dandilions.

Hoe - pretty much everything else.

We use a Swoe; rather than a hoe - as it can get in around seedlings without causing too much bother.

[SarzWix]

For me, it depends on the weather - hoeing is a bit pointless when it's about to rain or the soil is very moist as the weeds just re-root themselves & carry on! Hoeing when it's dry & breezy is best. Oh, and I have a Swoe too - you can use just the tip of it in small spaces.

[HeyWayne]

Mixture of both for me too. I was hand weeding between the oinion seedlings a couple of weeks ago though, and something really sharp stuck in my finger - bladdy hurt it did.

I also use the rake to disturb the ground around areas of weeds, seems to work too.

[Matt.]

Hoe. Tempted to get a three pronged cultivator and see how taht works.

[HeyWayne]

Hoe. Tempted to get a three pronged cultivator and see how taht works.

Make sure you get a good one, I managed to dislodge the welding so mine spins round as soon as you putt pressure on it, and I end up dragging the sides of the prongs along the ground, that or it does a 360 and the prongs end up skyward.

If that makes sense?

[Finedon.Dandy]

Whats a swoe?

[jacob marley]

The only thing i use is a swan neck draw hoe a 2 inch 5 inch or a 8 inch can't use any thing else other a 5 tined fork with the tine's bent over at right angle to the shaft which is a pitchfork stale thats me though but i am self confessed old fashioned jacob

[Snadger]

Whats a swoe?

A Swoe is a Wilkinson Sword hoe! A bit like a dutch hoe with a leg missing!
Its useful for hoeing around veg as it is double sided and even the end is sharpened.
Good on normal soil but is a bit of a bugger on claysoil!

[rustylady]

Hoe. Tempted to get a three pronged cultivator and see how taht works.

I've got a small hand held one, and it's brilliant. Loosens the soil and the weeds.

[SarzWix]

This is a Swoe; Buy W/SWORD S/STEEL SWOE 601470W, Garden Hoes from Tool-Up UK

GoneGardening.com - Wilkinson Sword stainless steel swoe (601470W)

[Norm]

I've got one of those, but it's not a swoe. It's an old golf club I attacked with an angle grinder.

[Snadger]

I've got one of those, but it's not a swoe. It's an old golf club I attacked with an angle grinder.

So its a STICK????

PS If you still have the rest of the set they are handy as net supports for your brassicas if pushed into the ground!

[moggssue]

Haha, I like that idea Snadger - not sure OH would approve though! And I didnt know what a swoe was either so thank you all for the info!!

[Norm]

If you still have the rest of the set they are handy as net supports for your brassicas if pushed into the ground!

I bought 2 for a pound a piece. The guy at the charity shop said one was a sand wedge (That's the one I ground the edges down to make the swoe) and the other was a No 6 Iron, which I converted into a stick and welded a sickle blade to it. Wasn't it Sam Clemens who referred to golf as "A good walk spoiled"? I tend to agree