Choosing planting

What is a hoe used for?

The ultimate hoeing tool

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Modified the 1 September 2025 by Olivier 3 min. Difficulty: Débutant

A hoe is a garden tool used for hoeing. But it can also be used for other tasks, such as weeding and earthing up. Hoeing is ideal for loosening and aerating the soil between plants and seedlings. A hoe will therefore be useful in both the vegetable garden and the ornamental garden and, thanks to it, the saying “one hoeing is worth two waterings” will be more than just a theoretical statement. A hoe is a simple tool: a sharp steel blade fixed at right angles to the end of a wooden handle. There are long-handled hoes and, conversely, very short-handled ones, with wide blades for quicker work or narrow blades for precise tasks, and blades in a variety of unusual shapes… To help you find your way around, this advice guide takes a closer look at the hoe.

Difficulty

What is a hoe?

A hoe is a garden tool consisting of a handle, generally 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”. Hoeing is therefore the act of going over the ground “a second time” after digging.

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

There are long-handled hoes for working in the garden. You can also find hoes with a very short handle, known as flower hoes, for working in containers and window boxes or in small areas.

Hoe blades can vary in width: for example, a traditional hoe with a 16cm blade or a rose hoe with a narrow 8cm blade. Wide blades allow you to work more quickly when there is enough space, while narrow blades can easily weave between plants.

Some hoe blades have more unusual shapes: a hoe with a “V”-shaped 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 should you use a hoe?

A hoe is a fairly versatile garden tool that can be used in the vegetable garden as well as the ornamental garden. A hoe is used to:

Hoe: A hoe is used… for hoeing. In other words, breaking up the surface crust of the soil. This operation, known as hoeing, allows water and air to penetrate more effectively into the top layer of the soil. Better aeration of the soil around plant roots limits the spread of mould. In addition, this aeration (and the resulting warming) speeds up the mineralisation of organic matter, temporarily providing the plants with assimilable nitrogen. Hoeing also reduces water evaporation from the soil surface by breaking the capillary rise of water. “One good hoeing is worth two waterings” Let us not forget the old saying…
Weed: this means scraping the soil with the cutting blade in order to eliminate, or cut the roots of adventive plants and weeds between vegetable rows or within a bed.
Earth up: earthing up consists of bringing soil up around the base of certain plants, such as potatoes or beans.

To use a hoe, simply hold the wooden handle with both hands, place the blade on the soil and draw the tool towards you with short, jerky movements. Each small penetration of the blade into the soil will help to loosen it and/or sever the roots of adventive plants. Throughout the operation, remember to keep your back straight.

Warning: a hoe is a tool that requires care. The tool must be cleaned after each use and the blade sharpened regularly. Apply a little linseed oil to the wooden handle in winter.