What is a hoe used for?

What is a hoe?

A hoe is a gardening tool consisting of a handle, usually made of ash wood, and a sharp steel blade fixed at a right or acute angle to the handle.

The term “hoe” comes from the Latin “bini“, meaning “to do twice”. Thus, hoeing is the action of going over “a second time” after digging the soil.

A hoe is used to loosen and aerate the top layer of soil, as well as to weed in both vegetable gardens and ornamental gardens.

There are long-handled hoes for working in the garden. However, there are also hoes with very short handles, known as flower hoes, designed for use in pots and planters or in small areas.

The blade of the hoe can vary in width: for example, a traditional hoe with a 16 cm blade or a rose hoe with a narrow 8 cm blade. Wide blades allow for faster work when there is enough space, while narrow blades can easily slip between plants.

Some hoe blades have more original shapes: a hoe with a “V” blade for precision weeding (even between paving stones), a Japanese hoe with a triangular head, a heart-shaped hoe, and a Spork-shaped hoe… The latter is used more like a digging fork than a true hoe.

How and why to use a hoe?

A hoe is a versatile gardening tool that can be used in both vegetable gardens and ornamental gardens. The hoe is used for:

• Hilling: A hoe is used… to hill. This means breaking the surface crust of the soil. This operation, known as hilling, allows for better penetration of water and air into the top layer of the soil. Improved aeration of the soil around the roots of plants limits the proliferation of moulds. Furthermore, this aeration (and the resulting warming) accelerates the mineralisation of organic matter, temporarily providing assimilable nitrogen near the plants. Hilling also reduces water evaporation from the soil surface by breaking the capillary rise of water. “A good hilling is worth two waterings” Let’s not forget the old adage…
• Weeding: this term refers to scraping the soil with the cutting blade to eliminate and cut the roots of adventive plants and weeds between vegetable rows or within a flower bed.
• Earthing up: earthing up involves bringing soil to the base of certain plants like potatoes or beans.

To use a hoe, simply hold the wooden handle with both hands, place the blade on the ground, and pull the tool towards you with small jerks. Each small penetration of the blade into the soil will help to loosen it and/or cut the roots of adventive plants. Keep in mind throughout the operation to maintain a straight back.

Caution: a hoe is a tool that requires care. The tool should be cleaned after each use and the blade sharpened regularly. The wooden handle should receive a bit of linseed oil in winter.