Editor’s Note: Written by Stephen Clay McGehee. Reposted with permission from The Southern Agrarian – http://www.southernagrarian.com/
My cousin introduced me to the Scuffle Hoe, and I’m grateful that he did. The Scuffle Hoe is a rather specialized tool. It does an excellent job of getting rid of small, just-emerging weeds in loose soil. The sandy soil that we have here in this part of The South is ideal for using this tool – especially when it is dry.
The Scuffle Hoe is used by sliding the blade just a bit below the surface to cut the weeds off below the ground level. If the soil is dry, that makes it easier to use, and the weeds dry out very quickly so they can’t take root again. It is much easier to control than a regular field hoe when working close to garden plants. Think of it as a maintenance tool intended to keep your garden clean. Use a regular field hoe for the big stuff.
There are two basic types of Scuffle Hoe, and they both work the same way. One uses a blade (shown on the left in the above photo, also known as a stirrup hoe) and the other is a triangular blade. So far, both have held up well, but I suspect that the triangular design is the tougher, more durable of the two.
If you haven’t used one before, make it a point to get one and try it out. If you have very hard packed soil or heavy clay, wait until you’ve improved the soil before trying to use one. If you start out with a clean garden, a Scuffle Hoe will make it easy to keep it clean.
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Getting To Know The Scuffle Hoe
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I made a ‘stirrup’ hoe a few years ago, & it’s great for the conditions you describe.
I keep the ‘cutting’ edge sharp- makes the whole process easier.
Made a little, one-handed one as well (1 1/4” wide blade) for working close in to small plants.
Handy things…
I saw a scuffle (stirrup) hoe used on a gardening video the other day and knew instantly I needed one! Used it today for the first time to clean out the flower beds. I seriously did in less than 1 hour what would have taken me a week to do. Where has this tool been all my life?! Its works in the vegetable bed, the flower bed, the gravel drive way. It’s awesome and no more bending over to pull weeds ?