The ridging hoe, also known as the Warren hoe [10] and the drill hoe, is a triangular (point-down) or heart-shaped draw hoe that is particularly useful for digging narrow furrows (" drills") and shallow trenches for the planting of seeds or bulbs. [11] [12]

Next, hold it out in front of you as if you were using it. The end of the handle should hit you at about your belly button. Fight in the Fields: Cesar Chavez and the Farmworkers' Struggle". Pbs.org . Retrieved December 13, 2012. Model tractor, type 2D, equipped with toolbar and set of gang hoes". Collections Online. Science Museum Group . Retrieved 15 May 2015. Cutler, Karan (2002). Essential Tools: Equipment and Supplies for Home Gardeners. New York: Brooklyn Botanic Garden. p.16. ISBN 9781889538501 . Retrieved 14 June 2015.US Patent 1017048, Cultivator, filed 1911". USPTO US Patent Database. United States Patent and Trademark Office . Retrieved 15 May 2015. There are two general types of hoe: draw hoes for shaping soil and scuffle hoes for weeding and aerating soil. Deppe, Carol (5 Oct 2010). The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times. White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing. p.101. ISBN 9781603583152 . Retrieved 14 June 2015.

There are four main types of garden hoes; Dutch, draw, stirrup and heart-shaped. Each varies slightly in shape and can, therefore, be helpful for different tasks. A draw hoe has a blade set at approximately a right angle to the shaft. The user chops into the ground and then pulls (draws) the blade towards them. Altering the angle of the handle can cause the hoe to dig deeper or more shallowly as the hoe is pulled. A draw hoe can easily be used to cultivate soil to a depth of several centimetres. A typical design of draw hoe, the "eye hoe", has a ring in the head through which the handle is fitted. [1] This design has been used since Roman times. The mortar hoe is a tool specific to the manual mixing of mortar and concrete, and has the appearance of a typical square-bladed draw hoe with the addition of large holes in the blade. [15] Evans, Chris, “The Plantation Hoe: The Rise and Fall of an Atlantic Commodity, 1650–1850,” William and Mary Quarterly, (2012) 69#1 pp 71–100. Used with a push-pull action that can slice off weeds in both directions, they come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from a diamond-, triangle- or circle-shaped blade that only stirs soil in a small area to stirrup hoes and swoes that can take a wider swath of weeds out with one motion. Scuffle hoes usually have a small angle between the head and the handle (20 to 30 degrees), which facilitates the horizontal push and pull. Scuffle hoes work great for:No matter what kind of garden hoe you use, the most important thing is to keep it sharp. A sharp hoe will slice into soil and cut off weed roots much easier than a dull one, and you’ll expend less energy using it. How to sharpen a garden hoe The Digging hoe - These are used for general purpose digging and come in a variety of shapes and sizes Senate, California. Legislature (1919). Appendix to the Journals of the Senate and Assembly of the Forthy-Third Session of the Legislature of the State of California. Vol.4. p.41. From my personal observation in handling fires in this district, I find the shovel and the "dago" hoe to be the most effective tools for the fighters ... Loudon, John (1871). The Horticulturist, Gardening in America Series. Applewood Books. p.84. ISBN 9781429013680 . Retrieved 14 May 2015. Most hoe handles are about 5 ft. in length, which works for the average sized person. But if you are very tall, you may have to bend over too much to use a hoe that length, so look for a specially-made long-handled hoe. If you’re petite, a long hoe juts out and is unwieldy if you hold it toward the middle, and you may have to shorten your hoe handle to make it more comfortable to use.

The Swoe - these are ideal for use in confined spaces such as in and amongst established plants. They have an angled head and chamfered edgesThe Onion hoe - as the name would suggest this is used for working between rows of onions. It has a winged style head that lets the hoe work just under the surface of the soil How to Use a Grub Hoe". Easy Digging: Productive Tools for Garden and Farm . Retrieved 29 October 2015. E. P. Barrus Ltd is a family company co-owned with MTD Products, one of the largest producers of outdoor powered equipment in the world who are committed to producing high quality lawn and garden machinery including the popular brands of Lawnflite, WOLF-Garten and Cub Cadet; distributed in the UK by Barrus. Draw hoe: A draw hoe is one of the more basic options available. It has a small rectangular paddle that meets the handle at 90° and is used in an up-and-down chopping motion.

The flower hoe has a very small blade, rendering it useful for light weeding and aerating around growing plants, so as not to disturb their shallow roots while removing weeds beyond the reach of the gardener's arm. Quarters, Cindy. "What Is a Grubbing Hoe? (with pictures)". Home Questions Answered . Retrieved 2021-12-26. A scuffle hoe is used to scrape the surface of the soil, loosen the top few centimetres, and to cut the roots of, remove, and disrupt the growth of weeds efficiently. These are primarily of two different designs: the Dutch hoe and the hoop hoe. The term " hand hoe" most commonly refers to any type of light-weight, short-handled hoe, although it may be used simply to contrast hand-held tools against animal or machine pulled tools.

a b Mrs. Loudon, Jane (1847). The Amateur Gardener's Calendar: a Monthly Guide, Etc. London: Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans. p.64 . Retrieved 13 June 2015. Clean the hoe after each use and sharpen it often. Apply a light coat of general purpose household lubricating oil to the blade before storing for winter to keep it from rusting and becoming dull. Now it will be all ready to go in the spring!