Why does Father Christmas have three gardens?
So he can hoe, hoe, hoe...!!
Aaahaaahaaa, haahaa, haha, ahem... I'll get me coat!
Anyway.....
I'm off to buy a hoe this weekend and after popping in briefly to Homebase I noticed that none of them had sharp edges, even the £20 one - am I right in thinking that a sharp edged one will do a better job? If it doesn't make a difference I will go to InStore and get one for £3!!!
:)
A Swoe is the way to go. IMO ;D
Edit: Gosh, good prices here: http://www.worldofwilkinsonsword.co.uk/menu/350/Cultivating.html
You need a sharp edge to cut the weeds but remeber to be careful of your plants!
The best hoe that I have got was dumped on my allotment many years ago and it is a really thin one about 2 inches wide. It is perfect for going between plants, normally I find that with a swoe (which is also pretty good) the driving edge is more difficult to line up and miss plants! Probably a girly thing tho!
I always find that I am happier with old tools from car boots and the like than the newer ones which are very light both in weight (if you need a bit of strength they don't have it) and don't work as well as the older ones. Having said that not all older things are good. Just because I am an Old Bird doesn't mean I am stuck in the past! But they are also a good deal cheaper too. ;D
Sharp? Yes - sharpen them regularly like you do your spade.
Much chat about them some months ago, but I still use only the Wolf Push & Pull type - small or large - plus the small 'onion ' head. The longer the handle the better - you can take the heads off for the tricky stuff.
By far the quickest in use &, in the 'pull mode', you can't damage the plants. And holds its edge well.
http://www.worldofwolf.co.uk/submenu/Multi-Change/Soil%20Care.html
I got one last season from B&Q and had the same problem - it was rubbish and I only used it a couple of times before consigning it to the far end of the greenhouse.
Never buy the cheapo hoes with no edge, they're a waste of money. I have a whetstone handy, and use it all the time.
Thanks for the tips everyone - I bought myself one at the weekend from B&Q. I got the own brand one as it had a sharp edge and was only about 12 quid - the wilkinson sword one was about £18 and was pretty rounded in comparison. Anyway, I'm quite happy with my purchase, it's pretty lightweight and has a nice long handle so I can hoe from a distance (!).
:)