Choosing planting

What is a hand hoe used for?

Odd name for indispensable garden tool

Contents

Modified the 1 September 2025 by Olivier 2 min. Difficulty: Débutant

The hand hoe is undoubtedly the most versatile gardening tool. Not very far removed from the hoe, it is used to hoe, weed, dig, scratch, earth up… in the vegetable patch, but also in the ornamental garden and even in tubs and planters. The hand hoe is characterised by having two tools on the same handle: always a blade (for earthing up, digging and weeding) but either a tongue (for digging furrows) or a mini-fork for scratching and aerating. The hand hoe, sometimes called a “rayonnoir”, is so practical you’ll use it every day in the garden. Whether it has a long handle or, conversely, a short one, no gardener should go out into the garden without their hand hoe.

Difficulty

La serfouette est un petit outil de jardinage manuel, proche de la binette, constitué d’un manche et d’une lame en acier plate, généralement triangulaire ou en coin, fixée perpendiculairement au manche. On l’utilise principalement pour : - sarcler entre les plants et couper les mauvaises herbes au ras du sol ; - ameublir et aérer la terre en surface ; - tracer de petits sillons pour les semis et butter ou déterrer des légumes (pommes de terre, etc.) ; - travailler dans des espaces restreints où une bêche serait trop encombrante. Avantages : maniable, précis, peu fatigant pour les travaux rapprochés. Choisir la taille et la forme de lame selon l’usage (lame pointue pour pénétrer une terre lourde, lame plus large pour racler). Entretien : nettoyer après usage, sécher la lame, affûter si besoin et huiler pour éviter la corrosion.

Serfouette, sometimes called “rayonnoir“, is a small, lightweight tool that always carries two different opposing implements on the same handle. Serfouette is either made of a panne and a langue (sometimes then called a “trace-sillon“), or of a panne and a fork. Panne is a flat, square blade and resembles a mini hoe. Langue (or langue-de-bœuf) is pointier than panne and shaped… like a tongue. Fork comprises two or three tines depending on the model.

This funny, charming name “serfouette” comes from its use: “serfouir or sarfouir le sol” means “to stir or scratch the soil”. Over regions and time, serfouette has been given other names such as “binochon”, “houette”, “rayonnoir”, “marochon” and even “bêchelon”.

Serfouette can be fitted with a short handle or a long handle, the latter being perfect for protecting the back. If you choose a short-handled serfouette for small jobs in beds or planters, don’t hesitate to crouch while keeping your back straight.

Serfouette head, whether it has a langue or a fork, must be made of steel. Handle can be wood, steel or plastic. Choose a simple, sturdy tool, as it is used daily in the garden. Some serfouettes can be fitted with removable handles, allowing you to choose freely between a short or a long handle.

Serfouettes

How to use a hand hoe?

Hand hoe has multiple uses in ornamental and vegetable gardens.

Hoe: generic term for aerating, loosening and weeding soil. Whatever model of hand hoe chosen, it can hoe vegetable garden and flowerbeds;
Weeding and hoeing: blade allows weeds to be removed by scraping soil surface like a mini hoe; this is hoeing;
Digging and creating furrows: blade and tongue can alternately dig small planting holes or sowing furrows;
Earthing up: blade can also be used to earth up certain plants or vegetables, as a hoe would;
Forking and aerating: main role of fork. Tines aerate soil for better penetration of water and air. Tines of mini-fork can also scratch soil to help with weeding or to incorporate compost, manure…