Correct use of dutch hoe?

[Caithness Gardener]

I have got a dutch hoe straight out of the garden centre. The blade is enamelled (paint?) to protect it from rust but surely this blunts it? Could you cut a carrot with a painted knife blade?

Surely you need to take a whetstone to it and give it an edge to cut weeds off in their prime?

[rustylady]

I can never remember which is the Dutch hoe! What shape is it? Whichever it is I think you will find that the enamel (I'm sure it's just paint) will soon wear off. You can certainly sharpen it, I use an oilstone on mine to take off the lumps and bumps. It doesn't need to be as sharp as a knife, though. Remember when you are using a hoe there's quite a bit of weight behind it.

[terrier]

Last May,2006 ( I think) GYO mag did a special on different garden tools available, one being a Dutch Hoe. They came to pretty much the same conclusion as you!

[Snadger]

Some garden tools are 'case hardened' which basically means that the surface alone of the mild steel is hardened! If you take a file to them and remove the case hardening you will be left with a soft mild steel tool that will blunt easily!

[dexterdoglancashire]

According to my boss (ex prof gardener) says you should work the hoe so that it sharpens the edge. Mmm got OH to sharpen the edge on mine and then have been careful when using it - aparently according to boss the more you use it, the more sharp it becomes? Not sure on that one though! Bernie

[sewer rat]

You need to sharpen the cutting edge of your hoe yourself - working it through the ground will not sharpen it or keep it sharp - quite the opposite, unless you have very sandy ground. I sharpen mine with an oilstone on a regular basis, but then again I am using it most days for two or three hours at a time.
You should aim to run the cutting edge just below the soil surface and just slide it back and forwards , cutting through the weed roots.
As rustylady says, you have a lot of weight behind it and if you keep it sharp, take care round the base of your plants as a sharp hoe will slice through them without any bother at all.

[NOG]

I have some of the wolf stuff and that is surposed to be self sharpening..the stones in the ground do it......I have never shapened then and they are great. Things like spades, lawn edgers and old cheap stuff I pick up at the boot fair I give them a once over on the grinder once a year.

You dont want the HOE to sharp anyway cos you will chop all you crops down to easely.