[vegypete]

hi ya after taking on my plot last september, then digging it over and taking out as mutch roots of nettles brambels and couch grass as i could, no way them weeds are going to beat me, i have three different types of hoe all nice and sharp ready for battle .........pete

[m1ckz]

and it will be a battle or 2 to win that war    lol   gl

[Yorkie]

And, if you're anything like me, you'll manage to chop at least one bean plant off with each one 

[mattwragg94]

hi what do you guys sharpen your tools with? - ive never done it before, but they are desperate for a sharpen!

[Kleftiwallah]

The best I've found is a flat flap wheel on an angle grinder.  If no angle grinder a good 12" flat file and a bench vice does an admirable job.     :happy:    Cheers,    Tony.

[mattwragg94]

hmmm looks like it will be a file job

[ilan]

The file is the tool for the job if you use any kind of electic grinder it gets the edge far to hot and the metal will lose its temper so will go soft

[mattwragg94]

yeh but unfortunately for me ive got about 4 spades and 3 hoes that need sharpening 

[Yorkie]

Well you've got weeks until you need to start using them, get going 

[fatbelly]

As regards hoeing, a man on our site rarely has any weeds on his plot and he says that whatever job he has come to the plot for whether it be harvesting, planting, sowing or watering he always spends the 1st 15 and last 15 minutes of his visit non stop hoeing.

[Yorkie]

It's a very good tip 

You should hoe at least once a week to keep on top of weeds, I think.  The difficulty I find, is that if the soil is wet then the hoe isn't really effective - the weeds just pull out of the ground, get dragged along it, and then re-plant themselves once my back is turned!

[Salmo]

I'll bet your man also says "always hoe when there are no weeds". Run a hoe through every few days and most of the weeds you kill are just chitted underground.

[DD.]

Going back to the swoe mentioned on another thread, it's had a year's use on two full sized plots and the home garden.

I feel no need to sharpen it, it's as keen as the day I brought it home.

[sunshineband]

Going back to the swoe mentioned on another thread, it's had a year's use on two full sized plots and the home garden.

I feel no need to sharpen it, it's as keen as the day I brought it home.

My hoe got blunt as it kept bashing against the stones in the ground. Things are a little better now so it might last a while before needing a sharpen again 

[Diddy Gardener]

DD... my local garden centre has swoes in their 'sale' section for £12.99. Good investment?