Topic: Azada - tips or techniques?

[timelady]

Hi all! Got my azada yesterday and by golly has it wrecked my back! I have a bad back to start with and working on my core muscles has been a task I started this summer, but obviously still don't have the muscles in my gut. :D  But I will persevere! Not quite sure what I'm doing with it, though I did of course kind of naturally find a swinging action. But I can't get the blade in very deep, I'm working in a very clay soil if that matters. I think that might be where I'm going wrong, somehow using my back to try and get more force to get the blade in. Any tips or instructions on the best way to use this?

But it was excellent at getting out a huge bramble root, hoorah! So I'm pleased. Just need to figure out how to use it best.

Tina.

[supersprout]

quite a lot of tips and hints here:
http://get-digging.co.uk/testimonials.htm
 :)

[saddad]

DebP on this site and ours uses one, I use the similar Chillington Hoe...
Somebody will enlighten us soon!
 8)

[jennym]

Have used one and found it very good. Feel like a wet blanket on this one, but as well as wearing steel toe-capped boots, I always try to kneel when using it as I'm a little afraid of accidentally whacking my legs/feet.

[Deb P]

Don't do too much at once! With any digging, you will probably overdo it initially!

I think everyone finds the technique that works best for them, the only tip I could give you is to not whack it in too hard initially, let the weight of it break the surface, and the go in deeper, rather than trying to go deep 1st time. Like you, I've found the azada brilliant for digging out brambles and tree stumps, but due to the amount of couch on my allotment I've used the Right Angled Fork I bought at the same time far more, it's much easier to get underneath the couch roots in order to lift them for removal.

Also check your hair afterwards, I always find tons of grit in mine where I've been lifting the azada over my head!!! ;D

[timelady]

I was sitting on the sofa emailing my mom (who's over in the US) and realised my hair was full of dried mud. :D Will keep going. I think I probably did overdo it, was so excited about the new toy! And with the couch grass I might experiment. Though it doesn't seem to work as quickly as the fork it definitely gets a lot more of it up in the small area it does get.

Tina.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I find mine quicker than the fork for anything shallow-rooted. If it's deep-rooted or its a question of getting an odd weed out I prefer the fork, or even a spade if it goes really deep.

[MattD]

I use a mattock, which works roughly the same way although I think it's heavier. 

My recommendation is to use it working forwards, ie away from you.  It means that you are walking over what you've just broken up or dug over but you get such an uneven finish anyway you will probably have to rake it. 

Also, work with your feet more than shoulder width apart and attack the area directly in front of you.  For light work you can do it to one side of you, but you probably exert a lot more twisting on your torso if you do it like that.

You don't have to hold the handle at the end and take mighty great over the head swings.  Its really hard to control and I think increases the risk of injury.  Try holding it lower down the handle and using more of a chopping action, getting the weight of the tool to do the cutting, not forcing it in.

Also, take more small 'bites' rather than enormous great ones as a small bite requires less strength.  By small I mean as little as 3 or 4 cm if the ground's really heavy.  Work on a 'face' about 60cm wide so you don't have to move your feet from side to side and slowly work your way forward.

Do they need regular sharpening to keep the edge good?  I expect the supplier can tell you if and how often to do it.  Apparently you are supposed to hone spades from time to time but I don't know anyone who does.

In the end you will expend about the same energy but it's more like an extended gym session than a powerlifting record attempt.  I don't think there's any way of avoiding some muscle ache but eventually you will build up the strength. 

I have a friend who used to be a physio and he said that every spring he had loads of cases from people who went out into their gardens and seriously crocked themselves from doing extremely hard physical work they just weren't used to.

Go slowly and steadily, take regular breaks.  Do some stretching before you start and possibly even some cool down exercises when you finish to stop everything siezing.

Good luck.

[ACE]

Swinging it over your head? I use mine with a hoeing motion, with about a 4 inch bite on new ground and 6 to 9 on dug ground.
Mind you, mine is a mattock and quite weighty,  I did try the chillington hoe but found it too light and the handle too thin.

I am wondering if somebody is jumping on the bandwagonfor the new craze, and selling you a totally useless and weightless tool.

[Robert_Brenchley]

You do need a heavy one, and obviously the heavier the soil, the more weight you're going to need.

[powerspade]

I`ve tried the azada but I found it far too light and like some others I have gone back to using a Matlock mind you I cut the one end off the matlock to make my own version of a smaller more managable Azada

[Robert_Brenchley]

I have a fairly heavy digging hoe; there are heavier ones which I'd want if I had a clay soil. I did have a mattock before it was nicked, but it was too heavy for general digging; I just got it out occasionally for the really heavy jobs.

[Melbourne12]

We've got an azada (the 8" fairly heavy one), and a right angled fork.  I love them.  You certainly don't have to swing them over your head!  Just chop down on the soil, little and often, and you will make rapid progress.

They work well for removing couch grass, but you need to stand more upright, and take slices of the couch below the roots.

The azada is great for digging trenches, too.

But they don't dig as deeply as a spade, so if your ambition is to double dig a bed, it'll be easier with traditional English tools.

[timelady]

No ambition to double dig. :D

I found the tool through an old thread, and there's lots of comments and stuff on it so I think they've been selling them a while. Haven't been back out since my post! Work just got too busy. But hopefully on Sunday, going to declare it an official day off! whether I can get out of bed though is another story. ;)

I'll try using it lower, and the chopping motion too, just to see what feels right. I do have heavy clay soil which is probably why it isn't going in very far. I'm actually going to try forking a lot of my couch grass, then using the azada for the final lift out - I think that might work well. We'll see! If all else fails I'll just chop more bramble for the day.

Since I cycle to and from the allotment I do get a good warm up, and stretch my leg muscles a lot afterwards (my tight hamstrings are part of the lower back problems anyway), but haven't thought of arm and upper back stretches so will add those to the list.

Ta,
Tina.