Before starting hoeing, it is essential to know how to use a garden hoe. If you have basic ideas about a hoe that will make your lawn weed-free easily and fast.
A hoe is an essential tool for your lawn or garden to control weeds. Broadly a hoe is used to control weeds from flower beds, gardens, fields, footways, and under furniture. When spring arrives, you need to get prepared for using a hoe. In spring, you have seen the annual weed germinate. It is an essential tool for gardeners who are serious about their garden or lawn. It is mainly used to remove weeds or cultivate a garden, stirring up and mounting the soil.
Different types of hoe have different functions; some are designed for weeding the lawn, some are designed for bigger or smaller spaces. So, you need to choose the right type of hoe for your definite work. In this article, I am going to tell you the most effective way of using a hoe, specifically the action hoe. Don’t be so hasty; just keep following the instructions carefully.
Types of garden hoe:
Usually, you can find different types of hoe in the local markets or lawn care companies. Based on their working system, you have to choose the right one that will be effective for your work and lawn. If you have chosen the right hoe for your job, both the garden and your muscles will thank you. Some of the hoes have a wooden handle, some others have fiberglass handles. Here, I am going to tell you some basic information about different types of hoe.
Paddle or Draw Hoe:
When people think of using a hoe, the most basic type hoe is paddle or draw type. Some other names of this type are a draw, chopping, or planter hoe. Just chop into the ground and pull back towards you. It can break up weeds with its roots, prepare a garden bed, and give the soil a good shape. It has a long shaft and a paddle attached to it at a 90-degree angle to cultivate the soil in various depths.
Field Hoe:
This type of hoe is very effective for heavy-duty work as it has a heavy-duty blade than a regular paddle hoe. It has a multipurpose use; it can be used from weeding to removing small trees. Also, it is used to break large clods of soil. So, if you have a large landscape, it is perfect for you because you can perform any job with it.
Warren Hoe:
This hoe is another variation of a draw hoe with a triangular blade instead of a rectangular one. Its blade shape is convenient for tight areas as it can reach a particular spot. It is also used to dig the soil surface. It is effective for cultivating plants under another plant without damaging their roots. It can also be used for making a furrow or trench for seed or seedling bed.
Dutch Hoe:
This type of hoe is also known as a scuffle hoe. It is push-behind or pull-behind, effectively breaking the soil and cutting the roots along the soil surface. It has a rectangular-shaped blade on all sides, which effectively cuts forward, backward, or side to side. It has a slightly inclined upward blade instead of a downward perpendicular angle. This facilitates reaching the blade in the weeded area.
Collinear Hoe:
This hoe is also another version of a scuffle hoe with a long, sharp, and thin blade. The sharp blade is effective for an easy slice through weed roots under the soil surface. It is handy for weeding easily under foliage. It is used in light weeding like onion or garlic. It is also known as onion hoe.
Loop Hoe:
This type of hoe is popularly known as shuffle, stirrup, or hula hoe. The blade of this type of hoe looks like a saddle stirrup which is handy enough and facilitates reaching the place where it is hard to weed. It has back and forth motions for digging up stubborn weeds from deep soil. It has a handle where loopholes are held upright to give you a better view while working.
Action Hoe:
This type of hoe is usually known as the reciprocating hoe, with only the moving parts among all hoes. The blade scrapes the soil at a 15-20 degree angle while you push or pull the hoe. It is effective to control aggressive hoe, also effective for preparing soil between rows. It is effortless to handle and works very well without damaging your lawn crops.
Push-Pull Hoe:
This hoe has a V-shaped design and is effective for push and pull work with its sharp triangular blade. It can be converted into multipurpose use, and you can get both draw and scuffle hoe facilities in one type. It can cut the weed roots from deep soil by pushing them into the soil. Pull features allow you to move the weed from the garden. Both push and pull facilities offer you to remove the weeds which remain hidden on the surface. It is also effective for drip irrigation systems which can do your job without damaging the drip irrigation lines.
Swan Neck Hoe:
This hoe is also another version of a scuffle hoe. It has a long and curved neck that remains flat against the ground. It slides under the surface and easily cuts the roots of weeds. It has a unique feature for which you can perform your job while standing. It reduces the need to bend down.
Why hoe your lawn?
Hoeing is very important for your lawn to protect it from unwanted plants, which are known as weeds. Weeds can compete with your desired plants for light, moisture, and nutrients. So, they must be removed from your lawn, and hoeing is the best option to control them for a long time.
On the other hand, if your lawn soil is compacted or dry, you need to lose them by using a hoe. If you practice hoeing regularly, it helps you avoid much more battles later while the weeds cover a large area. Thus it can save you much more time, effort, and money.
When to hoe your lawn?
It is the most important question asked by many gardeners. And it is the first thing to consider before starting hoeing. If you don’t hoe in the exact time when your lawn needs it, all your attempts will fail. So, don’t think about your time; think about it based on the needs of your yard.
When you see any kind of weeds in your flower beds, vegetable gardens, and fields, you must be ready to remove them by hoeing at first sight. If you are too late to do that and if the weeds take over your garden once, it will be complicated for you to control them. So, visit your lawn regularly, and if you have seen any weeds emerge, get ready to perform your hoeing job.
It is not the only thing you saw the weeds and are ready to remove that through hoeing. You have to think about the condition of your lawn soil. Always try to hoe your lawn when the soil in your field or lawn is as dry as possible. It is the best time to practice hoeing, which creates some dust mulch that can help to prevent the germination of new weeds. Practices hoeing your lawn in the early morning before watering your lawn.
How to use a garden hoe in the most effective ways?
Before starting hoeing, it is essential to know how to hoe your lawn. If you have some specific idea about that, all your work will be effortless for you. If you follow the right methods the right way, you will get an evergreen and healthy weed-free lawn. So, here are some pieces of information on the hoeing process that will make your work easy and fast.
1. Stand in the upright position as possible:
When you are going to start hoe, make sure that you are in an upright position. Stand tall and pick up the hoe in your hand by its handle. Keep it standing on the ground beside you. Always try to maintain your upright position as far as possible. This will help you to make your job easier and protect you from backache.
2. Follow sweeping motion to cut off weed tops:
You have to grab the hoe strongly and follow sweeping motions like you are sweeping a floor. This will help you to cut off the top of weeds. Always try to follow broad sweeping motions to get the top off more weeds.
3. Cut the weed stem underneath the soil:
To make the weeding job effective, you should sweep your hoe just below the soil surface. If you follow this, this will cut off the tops of the weed at a specific level so that the weed can not grow again in the future.
4. Practice hoeing cautiously and accurately:
It is the most important thing that you must practice hoeing precisely and cautiously. Any kind of mistake in over sweeping can cut your desired plants. You must ensure that the hoe passes very easily and smoothly between the rows of your chosen plants or crops.
5. Frequently change your hands:
Hoeing is not an easy task, it is laborious, and it needs more muscle power. So, you need to distribute the labor evenly on both sides of your body to avoid any aches. And, it can be done easily by changing your hands and arms frequently. To avoid some labor and aches, you can wear hand gloves that can protect your hand. Also, gloves can give you more power to grip the handle of the hoe.
6. Selection of the best type hoe:
It is vital that you have to select the best type of hoe that suits you and your lawn. If you choose the wrong hoe, you will be facing an awkward situation. So, some primary considerations about your hoe are stated below-
7. Decent height of the hoe:
As you need to practice hoeing in an upright position while hoeing, you must make sure that the hoe’s handle is long enough. The long handle allows you to stand in an upright position. If it forces you to bow down while doing your hoeing job, you need to find a garden hoe that has a longer handle. So, choose the hoe height according to your height.
8. Right type handle:
Usually, you can find that there are different types of handles for different types of hoe. Some are designed with metal handles, some are wooden, and others are bamboo. So you need to choose the right type of handle for your job. The wooden handle is soft enough and convenient for your job because it is easy to grip, but it is heavy enough. On the other hand, the metal handle is lightweight but is somewhat difficult to grip. So, if you buy a metal handle, make sure that it is covered with a rubber band. The weather is another problem for a metal handle; when it is winter, it becomes cold and feels awkward to grip it.
9. Controlling of young weeds:
If you want to control the young weeds which are propping up in a large area or amongst the plant rows, you need to select and use a lightweight scuffle hoe. Also, you can use diamond, triangular, or stirrup hoe to control your weeds and get the best result.
10. Controlling of large weeds:
If your lawn is covered with large weeds and you need to deal with it, always try to use various hoes. You can use grab or field hoe to control them. Also, you can use Warren hoe or standard American garden hoe. The hoe is effective in controlling large weeds; also, you can use them to make furrows.
11. Weeding in tight space:
If you want to control weeds in tight space or spot weeding, always try to select a short handle hoe to do your job. You can choose a circular hoe, collinear hoe, or other short handle hoes.
Final Thoughts:
Hoeing is an important task for making your lawn weed-free and healthy. To do this job accurately, first, you need to select the appropriate tools. If you choose a durable and sharp hoe, you can accomplish your job very easily and fast. In this article, I am trying to find out the best hoe for performing your job. Also, I provided you with the best methods of hoeing in the above description. I think it will be helpful for you to select and accomplish your job very easily. Keep following, I will give you the best service of lawn garden care and other content. This will help you to be a pro in lawn garden care.
