What is a Garden Hoe?

Garden hoes are ancient tools developed long ago to tend to domesticate and wild crops. The ancient Romans and Native Americans used garden hoes, and those artifacts are on display as historical artifacts in many museums across the world. There are several types of hoes and designs have changed little over time.

A garden hoe is a tool used to do several jobs in the home garden. They are used by every gardener for moving soil around for various reasons and quickly eradicating new weeds. They make quick work of tasks that could not be done in the same way without them.

Types of Garden Hoes

• Dutch or Scuffle Hoe - This half-moon-shaped or triangle headed hoe is designed for pushing surface soil around or chopping, depending on which design it is. The half-moon-shaped hoe has an open center and a narrow blade, which makes it good for taking weeds down.


• Collinear Hoe - This hoe is narrow compared to the other types. It may have two prongs on one end and be rectangular on the other end, making it a dual purpose tool, or it may be a narrow rectangle. The narrow rectangle end is good for making small holes for transplanting seedlings and chopping or breaking up soil quickly around plants. The other end is good for creating two close side-by-side rows and cultivating around plants.


• Common Hoe - It is probably the hoe you've seen around more than the others having a single solid blade about 4 to 5 inches across and 5 or more inches high. It is multi-purpose in that you can use a corner to make furrows, push and pull and chop with one tool. It is not so efficient in quickly taking weeds out, though.


• Stirrup Hoe - This one is most efficient at two tasks: taking weeds down quickly and working in fertilizer on the surface of the soil. It does look like a stirrup and may have a sharp blade or rounded, narrow rod.