What Is a Digging Hoe?

Digging Hoe Description

• A digging hoe is much bigger and stronger than what many backyard gardeners use. The plate, the part that goes into the soil, is larger and able to move much more soil at one time than a typical hoe. It can also go much deeper into the soil than a standard garden hoe, which allows it to remove deep-seated weed roots more effectively. The handle is longer and thicker, which gives more leverage for moving heavier objects.

Around the World

• The digging hoe has many names. Azada, eye hoe, Chillington, grub hoe and grape hoe are common names for it. Its spread as an agricultural tool provides good evidence of its value. Even poor and primitive farmers search for easier ways to be a farmer, and if there was a better way to make a hoe it undoubtedly would have been discovered over the years.

Types of Digging Hoes

• Digging hoes come in various styles. A narrow version is used for trenching. Triangular plates allow access to spaces between plants and give a point useful for shallow trenching for planting seeds. Keeping the edge sharp on the digging hoe allows a better cutting action, but if the front edge is too sharp it can chip on a rock or fold over itself.

Clearing Land

• A digging hoe can clear out sod and other weeds quickly with the right technique. An overhand swing drives the plate into the ground up to 10 inches. Lifting the oversized handle forces the soil out and up with little effort by the operator. An experienced user can cultivate several square yards in a few minutes.