Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: ilan on February 09, 2012, 22:54
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I am suprised to find few people mention using a digging hoe (azada )I find this is the tool I reach for most often its great for cleaning up a neglected plot or just going over to loosen up the top soil to earthing up the spuds whats your most used tool
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if you put Azada into the search, you will see just how many posts mention it, it's not rare at all ;)
I think I use my hoe more than anything to keep the weeds down :)
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My most used tool would be a swoe during the growing season. It's so easy to get close up to and inbetween plants without the need to bending down or walking between crops.
Saves a great deal of time and is so easy to use.
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Swoe also. Shame it took me about 40 year to find it!
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Swoe also. Shame it took me about 40 year to find it!
Me too... Bought one for my dad to use in his front garden as it's light and so easy to reach with.
Promptly went back and bought another for myself. :)
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Excuse me, what is a swoe?
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One of these:
(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c182/G4IAR/P1000246.jpg)
A three edged hoe, if you do a forum search, there's quite a few mentions.
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Thank you! where can I find one?
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Got the one above from Wyevale last year. Was on offer at the time.
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Must get one :)
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Most usefull tool?
Wheel Barrow. You can sit in it.
Second most usefull tool?
Swoe. You can weed with it while sitting in your Barrow.
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At the moment my most useful 'tool' is my all terrain buggy as it keeps the baby snug and in one place and can carry enough hand tools and provisions for a brief trip up to the site :)
Close second to that is my azada...but I can't fit that in/on on the buggy...I really need a shed or a car ::)
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Hoeing is my favourite single gardening activity (easiest, most useful, not to mention being the most fun I get to experience whilst standing up these days. 8))
I'd love one of those Swoes because I can see how effective they must be, but unfortunately a good friend bought me a quality stainless steel Dutch hoe a couple of years ago and I'd probably have to hide a Swoe if I treated myself to one (mind you, I'm now wondering whether it would be possible to cut a corner off the Dutch hoe and sharpen the new edge - I probably need to trudge up the garden through the snow to actually have a look at it! ::) ;))
(DD's pic is by far the best I've seen in terms of understanding what they look like and how they work - the 2D online pics all make them look like draw hoes, to my eyes at least!) :unsure:
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Most usefull tool?
Wheel Barrow. You can sit in it.
Second most usefull tool?
Swoe. You can weed with it while sitting in your Barrow.
Now I have to buy a wheelbarrow as well!!
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(DD's pic is by far the best I've seen in terms of understanding what they look like and how they work - the 2D online pics all make them look like draw hoes, to my eyes at least!) :unsure:
Oh I thought that was a golf club! :ohmy: ::)
I too would have a swoe. I was even going to buy one, but OH who does most of the physical gardening work didn't feel the cost was justified as we have a good stainless steel hoe. Even my assurances that it would let me help more, didn't work. This puts him in danger of getting one as a (summer) birthday present. ::)
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my fork tends to get most use , i use it allot to lean on over beds when sowing and harvesting :)
for some reason i cant get used to using my hoe, i even use my fork to rake over the beds
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I'm a big fan of hand tools, I have some smaller beds and I used to enjoy getting down and weeding with a hand fork / hoe or I have this three pronged rake thingy :wub: My parents bought these for me from the Pound Shop and I have been amazed at how sturdy they are!
I guess this is easy when you have defined beds, it may not be possible with my extension this year as I am growing more traditionally in large rows. Although I found it very relaxing and felt like I had accomplished something doing one bed at a time!
Very much like the look of the Swoe though - might ask for one for my birthday :)
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Dutch hoe is mine, but i have heard alot of good things about the swoe.
But, are they really that much better than a dutch hoe?
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Most useful tool - my brain
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My OH is my best garden tool....he loves a project.
Followed by trowel, snippers and hoe.
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My feet - nothing works without my feet. :D
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One of these:
(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c182/G4IAR/P1000246.jpg)
A three edged hoe, if you do a forum search, there's quite a few mentions.
DD - I only went to a local garden centre to get a gift voucher this afternoon ....... and came out armed with one of these based on your photo ...... as we're not under the snow cap up here, gave it a quick go round some weeds - it's like a hot knife through butter :D
Thanks - well chuffed (and a few pounds lighter, but much better than my old hoe).
Do you have to sharpen it? If so, with what ?
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Had it a year now, never had to sharpen it. It has two full size plots to take care of!
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Had it a year now, never had to sharpen it. It has two full size plots to take care of!
Mine will be more of a part-timer in camparison :lol:
Thanks everyone for recommending it :D
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DD never used one what are the benefits of using this to a traditional hoe?
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Angled blade makes for a better cutting action than the Dutch hoe, cuts on the "back stroke as well.
Combined with the angled side blade it means you can get into awkward places.
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Looks good DD whats the price range?
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Just been looking myself, looks like about £35 for a decent one.
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yeeeeeeooooooowzar wants to be good for that price have to wait till my next birthday. :ohmy: :ohmy:
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Just been looking myself, looks like about £35 for a decent one.
Keep looking - mine is stainless steel, light-weight alloy handle so easy to hold and use yet strong. It's a Wilkinson sword. Mine was no more that £20. More like £17 I think from a local supplier about 2 or 3 years ago.
I've just searched and found same thing for £25 on-line so keep looking.
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Angled blade makes for a better cutting action than the Dutch hoe, cuts on the "back stroke as well.
Combined with the angled side blade it means you can get into awkward places.
Some of us have a real knack for getting into awkward places!! ;)
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As has been said, you can get it for far less than £35, you're looking in the wrong places! I can't recall exactly what I paid for mine, but I can assure you that it wouldn't have been £35!
I think there was an offer on at the time and it's like everything else you buy - shop around.
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I bought mine from Focus (as was) in Weybridge. It most certainly wasn't £35 or it would have stayed on the shelf.
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Lucky I already had the handle, I got the swoe head for £10.99. When I first took on my allotment I invested in a set of tools with an interchange handle. That initial outlay has saved me money over the years as I only have to buy the head of any further tools I require.
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Try this - £22.29 including postage. This is identical to mine, (Joseph Bentley brand), and is really well crafted & put together.
Joesph Bentley swoe (http://www.capitalgardens.co.uk/stainless-steel-long-handled-three-edged-hoe-p-24549.html?utm_campaign=googlebase&utm_medium=comparisonengine&utm_source=google)
Note that JB don't refer to it as a "swoe".
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I know this is not a swoe in the real sense :) a tenner for the two was a good buy, from my local Garden Centre which is right next to the allotment :)(http://)
(http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s412/higster1/001-4.jpg)
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Very handy to have a garden centre next to the allotment. At that price you can pop in there for new tools anytime ;)
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It's great because I also get points on my loyalty card, I can just wheel stuff next door to the lotty it's 100 yds. away :)
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Try this - £22.29 including postage. This is identical to mine, (Joseph Bentley brand), and is really well crafted & put together.
Joesph Bentley swoe (http://www.capitalgardens.co.uk/stainless-steel-long-handled-three-edged-hoe-p-24549.html?utm_campaign=googlebase&utm_medium=comparisonengine&utm_source=google)
Note that JB don't refer to it as a "swoe".
That looks a very good deal DD!
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I can't see a better one.
I think it worth spending a little more for quality - you only have to buy once and the quality of Joesph Bentley tools is evident when you see them alongside others.
This is another one of theirs that I bought, (I've not researched the cheapest deal on this). It saves my aging and aching back from having to bend down too much when planting.
Stainless steel long handled trowel (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Joseph-Bentley-Stainless-Steel-Trowel/dp/B003JZCGMS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1329201609&sr=8-2)
I was fortunate in finding a good deal on this at the time.
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=78697.0
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I can't see a better one.
I think it worth spending a little more for quality - you only have to buy once and the quality of Joesph Bentley tools is evident when you see them alongside others.
This is another one of theirs that I bought, (I've not researched the cheapest deal on this). It saves my aging and aching back from having to bend down too much when planting.
Stainless steel long handled trowel (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Joseph-Bentley-Stainless-Steel-Trowel/dp/B003JZCGMS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1329201609&sr=8-2)
I was fortunate in finding a good deal on this at the time.
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=78697.0
Looks useful!
I, occasionally, use a three-pronged long-handled something or other (cultivator?). It's great for gently breaking up the surface soil between rows when it has been compacted by rain but there are no weeds to swoe through.
It's an old tool of my dad's - I'm not sure it'd be on my essential list but useful nevertheless. :)
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The S.W.O. is the one telling you to "Get your 'air CAT". ::)
My most usefull tool is a cutter (home made) the same size as the inside of a plastic coffee cup. I take out a plug of soil and pop in a seedling grown in the same sized cup with minimal root disturbance. Cheers, Tony.
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Got to be a Swoe. I still use Elder Growster's which he bought years ago - they last for ages!
Also a 'Growster wheel hoe', and a 'Growstada'...
(But chums here would know I'd say the last two wouldn't they...;0))
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At this time of year and still getting my plot in order (starting my third year in May) it is my spade and fork. I got a swoe for Christamas this year and I will predict it will be most used tool this season. It is great for weeding and preparing soil for sowing seed.