Allotments 4 All

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 (!). 
:)