{"id":10060,"date":"2021-09-01T06:48:50","date_gmt":"2021-09-01T06:48:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/farmandanimals.com\/?p=10060"},"modified":"2021-09-03T06:51:50","modified_gmt":"2021-09-03T06:51:50","slug":"hoe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/farmandanimals.com\/hoe\/","title":{"rendered":"The Garden Hoe: What It Is Used For & More"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The garden hoe has been around in one form or another for over 4,000 years. Comprising of a long handle and metal bladed head, it is a useful farm tool<\/a>, for weeding and clearing the ground ready for planting. In this article, we will be finding out much more about this ancient gardening implement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a Hoe?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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A hoe is a long-handled garden implement<\/a> with a flat thin blade. The blade is often set at around 90\u00b0 to the handle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The earliest images showing man using a tool that resembles a hoe were depicted in Egyptian hieroglyphics dating back some 4,000 years. Originally such implements were crafted from simple branches with stone, bone, or animal horns used for the blades. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first metal forged heads didn\u2019t appear until around the 14th<\/sup> century and haven\u2019t changed much even today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The handle of a modern hoe can be made of wood or aluminum and although wood handles have a warmer more flexible feel, they are also heavier than aluminum ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aluminum handles are usually coated with some sort of covering, either rubber or plastic, which helps improve grip and prevents them from feeling so cold on a winter\u2019s morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Handles can also vary in length and it\u2019s important not to get one that is too short, as this causes you to lean over when using it, causing back strain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The blade at the end of the handle is usually made of a metal material such as stainless steel or carbon. The advantage of a carbon blade is that it\u2019s easy to sharpen, but unless it has a powder or epoxy coating it will rust easily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stainless steel blades stay shiny and relatively rust-free but are far harder to sharpen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The blades also come in different shapes. Often they resemble stirrups, some have teeth on one side and others, such as a Dutch hoe can be triangular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a diverse number of different shapes and styles, but all have their uses and some are better than others for certain jobs.  A wide, toothed blade, may be useful for preparing the tilth of a seedbed, while a narrow-bladed hoe will be more suited for weeding around already established plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Care For Your Garden Hoe?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maintaining your garden hoe properly will ensure that it is always ready for use and last for many years. It needs to be kept clean and sharp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have one with a carbon steel blade, you should sharpen it frequently, using a wet stone, after it has first been thoroughly cleaned using soapy water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Always ensure you dry the blade completely after cleaning and sharpening, then rub on a little oil to prevent rust. See how to sharpen a hoe<\/em> below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To prevent wooden handles from drying out and splitting, they can be given a coating of boiled flaxseed oil from time to time. Be sure to wipe off the excess<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When sharp, your hoe will cut through the soil and remove weeds far more effectively.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the season, clean, sharpen and oil your hoe before wrapping the blade in an oily rag and hanging it up for winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the Types of Hoes?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As with most tools, there are a variety of different types of hoe to fulfill the needs of various jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The basic long-handled hoe\u2019s structure is always the same. They have a long handle with some kind of metal blade fixed to the end. This blade can be all kinds of different shapes, some flat, some curved, some pointed. With teeth or a smooth blade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On most hoes, you will find the blade is positioned at a 90\u00b0 angle to the shaft, but there can be variations on this. Some hoes have wide heads, while others have narrow ones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n