Permaculture inventions!

I mean specific tools that wouldn’t exist without the permaculture mindset. I have a few ideas. A couple meant for suburban and patio gardeners. Buy one, permaculture only. I mostly direct seed with a heavy thought towards companion planting. I’ll hand pull some weeds to start with but the rest of the time it’s all chop n drop. So between my jungle of competing plants I need to be able to get in there and chop so my plants get a head start. I’m not very flexible either so a thought came to me......
Somewhere between a hoe and a scythe lies the Perma-hoe! A lightweight straight handle with a sharp blade at a ninety degree from the handle. The blade could be square or more of a sickle shape, I’m not sure which would be better.
I’d love to be able to stand back and take weeds down half or more with a flick of the wrist.
Does anyone know of specific tools that were made because of permaculture?

I would think that a rake is a perfect permaculture tool. At least it is handy for raking up all the stuff that I trim.

The only other tools that I use is a spade and a forked hand tool for loosing the garden soil.

Scott Stiller wrote:I mean specific tools that wouldn’t exist without the permaculture mindset. I have a few ideas. A couple meant for suburban and patio gardeners. Buy one, permaculture only. I mostly direct seed with a heavy thought towards companion planting. I’ll hand pull some weeds to start with but the rest of the time it’s all chop n drop. So between my jungle of competing plants I need to be able to get in there and chop so my plants get a head start. I’m not very flexible either so a thought came to me......
Somewhere between a hoe and a scythe lies the Perma-hoe! A lightweight straight handle with a sharp blade at a ninety degree from the handle. The blade could be square or more of a sickle shape, I’m not sure which would be better.
I’d love to be able to stand back and take weeds down half or more with a flick of the wrist.
Does anyone know of specific tools that were made because of permaculture?

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Sounds like you're talking about something like the Fokin Hoe, which appears to be used in rural Russia. Sepp Holzer seems to be a fan (  [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVct-bWc28M)[/youtube]   I made one of my own a few months back using a bracket and an angle grinder to give it an edge. I use mine exactly the way you're describing it.

The hori-hori might be another tool. Maybe the principle for permaculture tools mirrors that of the landscape and plants in it-- stacked functionality and resilient versatility.

Thank you Arkady! I apologize for not responding, I’m just now seeing your post.
Imagine how dumb I felt reading the dailyish this morning and seeing the exact tool I’ve been dreaming of. I should have waited a couple weeks and it would’ve showed up in my inbox.
How is the one you made working for you?

I would like to find an auger
That could dig 2 feet diameter
holes so I could plant a quarter acre of berries and also plant a 3 sisters garden using the holes as hills !

Sorry my phone but a typo ( 2' in ) , when I wanted it to type 2' holes .

I'd like to try the Fokin hoe too but I'd also like to hear how Arkady likes the home-made one.

Hey folks- while I haven't used the genuine article for the sake of comparison, I can say that I'm pleased so far with my hillbilly Fokin hoe, especially considering that it's free- the bracket was left over from the landlord's fence installation and had sat out exposed to the elements for at least a year.

I haven't had much use for it yet- it's seen about an hour's worth of work outside since I made it, and has kept the edge rather nicely in that time. I took the angle grinder to it first, then a coarse file, then the same kind of sharpener one uses on a hatchet.

It's just the right weight for me, and the placement of the holes already set in the bracket allows me to attach it to a handle at a 45 degree angle like the "traditional" Fokin hoe. Not bad on my back. Sharpened on the tip and the two longer sides, you find yourself intuitively and easily switch from one edge to the other depending on the space you're working with.

So far I can definitely recommend it, but it has yet to see any real prolonged application. I'll check back again in the summer if there's any substantial update to provide.

Here's a few more images in case it helps.

This thread has gotten really interesting today!

This is low class straight hoe I made today. Marvel at the craftsmanship 😁! I was too tired to plant anymore so over a beer I made this horrible thing. May try to put an edge on it tomorrow but probably not.

I would think you could make one with an old lawnmower blade.  It seems like it would be the right thickness, and you could sharpen it.  I don't know about the bending angle though.  Not sure how important that would be.

Scott Stiller wrote:This is low class straight hoe I made today. Marvel at the craftsmanship 😁! I was too tired to plant anymore so over a beer I made this horrible thing. May try to put an edge on it tomorrow but probably not.

I think that's a great idea.  I think I'd drill through the bracket at the bottom and through-bolt top and bottom for heavy use.

Jen Fulkerson wrote:I would think you could make one with an old lawnmower blade.  It seems like it would be the right thickness, and you could sharpen it.  I don't know about the bending angle though.  Not sure how important that would be.

That would be a great use of the steel.  

That was the first thing I looked at Jen. I have a few old blades that I saved for something like this. Mine are old and quite thick. Not something I wanted to tangle with. I’m going to keep looking around though. I horde therefore I am.

Thank you Mr Markus. I’m just wondering if I can get a decent edge. If so could I keep it. I’m probably going to buy the one featured in the dailyish but going to keep looking through my junk for a good fit. I was hoarding before it was cool.

Gary Bogdan. Check out this as an example of an Auger. https://www.amazon.com/Power-Planter-Bedding-Plant-Auger/dp/B0015Z3OZ2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=bulb+auger+for+drill&qid=1589378606&sprefix=bulb+aug&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&smid=A24L7RW1FN7D4E&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzSVJaUkNEU05YWTA3JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNDE2MDI4WkFHUEhMNUFTSlVTJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAwMDM0NzhYNjVQWFdKRk9IWFMmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Scott Stiller wrote:I mean specific tools that wouldn’t exist without the permaculture mindset. I have a few ideas. A couple meant for suburban and patio gardeners. Buy one, permaculture only. I mostly direct seed with a heavy thought towards companion planting. I’ll hand pull some weeds to start with but the rest of the time it’s all chop n drop. So between my jungle of competing plants I need to be able to get in there and chop so my plants get a head start. I’m not very flexible either so a thought came to me......
Somewhere between a hoe and a scythe lies the Perma-hoe! A lightweight straight handle with a sharp blade at a ninety degree from the handle. The blade could be square or more of a sickle shape, I’m not sure which would be better.
I’d love to be able to stand back and take weeds down half or more with a flick of the wrist.
Does anyone know of specific tools that were made because of permaculture?

Reviewing specific tools: remember the key-line plow.

Didn’t even think about the Key-Line plow. What a great idea that was. I remember watching videos of Geoff Lawton doing that somewhere. Good stuff!

Do you think that would work as an adze Arkady? Looks sturdy enough.

Oh, I don't know. I haven't had need to use one, so I couldn't rightly say.

It'll definitely take a beating without bending- getting it to this shape in the first place was an ordeal.

The question is how well it could be affixed to a handle properly suited to handle the impact. It isn't pitting that kind of force into a long handle when used as a hoe.

The way the bracket is designed, I could see it yanking out any screws attaching it to an axe handle after sustained use.

Do you see a way of making it work? I'll tinker with it.

My son has been working on his welding skills, so I asked if he could make me a hoe like the Fokin hoe.  I showed him a picture, and this is what he made.  I like it.  He said this is a prototype and he can do better.  Honestly the only thing I would change is it would be nice if it was sharper.  He said it is made with mild steel, so it wont get sharp or hold an edge.  I asked him about doing an edge quench, and he said it might work. We will have to give it a try.

@Arkady. Is that bracket from a fence post? I hate to ask a dumb question because it certainly looks like it. Could you tell me the name of the bracket please? Thanks Scott.

Gary Bogdan wrote:I would like to find an auger
That could dig 2 feet diameter
holes so I could plant a quarter acre of berries and also plant a 3 sisters garden using the holes as hills !

Sorry my phone but a typo ( 2' in ) , when I wanted it to type 2' holes .

Hi Gary,

How about a post hole digger type auger in 2 foot diameter.

Here’s a link for a company that sells that type of auger, and they say they have 24 inch diameter augers.  You need a tractor to use it.

A detail:  if your soil is heavy clay, the auger may polish the inside of the hole, which makes it very difficult for the roots to grow out into the neighboring soil.  You just end up with in ground potted and root bound plants….

If you drilled a 12 to 18 inch diameter hole, which might be big enough, depending on your plant size, then broke down the sides of the hole, letting it fall into the hole, and added good stuff to the fill, so that it mixed in to the native soil, you might have some very happy berry plants!

https://www.tooltuffdirect.com/collections/augers

How about a homestead sized seed sorter?  Something with a bunch of different sized screens so you can dump a quart of lettuce seeds in and it will sort out the bigger stuff that you don't want and let out the dust you don't want either.  

Mike Haasl wrote:How about a homestead sized seed sorter?  Something with a bunch of different sized screens so you can dump a quart of lettuce seeds in and it will sort out the bigger stuff that you don't want and let out the dust you don't want either.  

Strictly Medicinal has exactly that,seed sorting screens.  Buy theirs or buy the stainless steel screens and build your own frames

https://strictlymedicinalseeds.com/product-category/screens-press/screens/

They also sell seeds and plants and tincture presses.

case off a good tool with with poor manufacture. broke after a few uses but still in my permaculture tool collection.   Look carefully and you can see that the thin hoe blade was fastened with three small spot welds.  but the hook is well mounted and very strong.   Very useful for pulling roots like dandelion and curly doc without cutting it off or disturbing near by roots.

Hello friends! I’m glad some folks replied to this thread I started years ago. I forgot it was here. 😂
This is my current permaculture tool. It’s a lawnmower blade that was heated, bent and mounted on a 2X2. I like the blade strength and most of the weight being on the businesses end.  I love simplicity!
I don’t like the bends on the cutting edge of the blade. Someday I plan to reheat it and bang it out flatter. I’m not great at such things and I’m apprehensive of damaging the current edges. For now I keep it sharp with a grinder and file.
I’ve used a pull blade to round out the handle a bit too.
I use it to take down weeds and cover crops in small spaces. I’ve used the tip of the blade to pry up weeds as well. I then drop in a few seeds.

Thekla McDaniels wrote:

Mike Haasl wrote:How about a homestead sized seed sorter?  Something with a bunch of different sized screens so you can dump a quart of lettuce seeds in and it will sort out the bigger stuff that you don't want and let out the dust you don't want either.  

Strictly Medicinal has exactly that,seed sorting screens.  Buy theirs or buy the stainless steel screens and build your own frames

https://strictlymedicinalseeds.com/product-category/screens-press/screens/

They also sell seeds and plants and tincture presses.

Grain bikes:
https://projects.sare.org/sare_project/one16-277/

Much love and a suggestion ... cut a circular sawblade into a crescent shape, and weld it to the back of a regular garden store variety hoe. weld it either vertically or horizontally or at an angle. Boom... there ya go. just dont run with it.

the lawnmower-bicycle debate.  I saw this on a comedy show being made fun of as a stupid patent, but it is actually quite practical, and i have seen some built on youtube but it's too small to see if it's actually cutting well.  

I can see it working as a reel-cutter, but can it work as a rotary-blade style that actually hacks tall grass vs. only stuff short enough to fit under a reel cutter?  

Or even just a push-mower that has a rotary blade and a bit of flywheel.  

I've been told the reel cutters only work on "suburban" grass and not on hay, any other views?

How too video on making a power scythe blade.