Hand Hoes

Hand Hoe.

My newest exciting toy this year is the hand hoe.   It is not that I have never used one before.  I am not sure why it took me so long to add this nifty gadget to my tool chest.  I could be that in the past I used a less handy version of this tool.  Whatever the case I purchased one this year and I am in love.  I carry it with me all day. 

I have always been a big advocate of hoeing.  (We usually use an upright collinear or stirrup hoe).  A hoe is the most useful tool we use in the garden. 

Hoes are excellent for weeding and when they are used correctly they simply undercut the weeds and don’t mix the layers of soil.  This is great because it also uses a lot less energy to weed than normal back breaking weeding.  To use a hoe for weeding it is important to get the weeds in the “thread” stage, which means they are usually 1 inch tall and their roots are mere threads.  And if your hoe is nice and sharp you can dig out those root masses of chickweed.

Hoeing is also important for breaking the crust of the soil.  This is especially important in the spring when we get heavy rains, which compact the first inch of soil.  This often prevents germinating seeds from breaking the soil surface.  Hoeing will break the crust of the soil and allow oxygen to move down the soil to the roots. 

I can’t say enough about hoeing. 

However, you must know that you cannot buy the wonderful upright hoes or the hand hoe at any local hardware store.  The ones sold at these stores are the old time hoes, which in my opinion are only good for hilling potatoes.  They are too big and bulking for any proper weeding and they are not angled correctly to cut the crust of soil.  To buy the proper hoes you must order them from a company such as Johnny’s Selected Seeds. http://www.johnnyseeds.com/c-468-hoes.aspx or http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-5504-hand-hoe.aspx.  You will always be grateful for this investment. 

This week’s recipe:

RHUBARB RELISH 

3/4 c. vinegar
½ qt. rhubarb, diced
½ qt. onions, chopped
3/4 cup maple syrup or 1 lb raw sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. cloves
½ tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt

Cook rhubarb, onions and vinegar for 20 minutes before adding sugar and spices. Simmer for about 1/2 hour longer, then pour and seal in sterilized jars. Very tasty on meat.

Makes 1 qt.