Garden Hoe Information

Moving Soil

• A hoe for moving soil has a large blade on the front. These hoes -- like the potato hoe, used for hilling potato beds; the Warren hoe, used to form trenches and tamp down soil; and the Korean hoe, for digging furrows -- are heavy duty and can often help dig out weeds that are located underneath roots.

Weeding Hoes

• Weeding hoes can be operated with little effort and do double duty: by slicing the thin blade just under the soil's surface, you'll not only pull up weeds, but break up clods of soil as well. A long-handled weeding hoe will let you stand straight and finish weeding in a short amount of time.

Take Care of Your Tools

• Always wash your hoe after you've used it. Wash off clay soil or clumps or dirt with a hose, and then dry the hoe promptly. Spray it with water-displacing spray to keep the metal from rusting, and store it in a dry place for the winter.