Push Pull Hoe

In an earlier thread, I asked what people's top five hand tools were. Dane Geld mentioned the push-pull hoe. I watched some videos of them in action and made an informed purchase.

What an ingenious invention!

But now I have a question about how people are using theirs.



So, this guy went in afterward with a rake and "cleaned up" the area.

Couldn't he have used the cut weeds for chop and drop mulching? Would he have had to make sure the weeds hadn't gone to seed before dropping them? Aren't most weeds nutrient collectors? If this isn't a recommended practice, I'm okay with that, but I always want to get more than one benefit from an action if possible.

j

OK you are beginning to think in permaculture design.  Does this demonstration have application to my design?  You ask this under the topic of mulch so that is how I will direct the answer.
What was the purpose of the demonstration?  to sell tools. He also sells rakes. Besides killing the weeds what was his objective?  Most likely with his cultural practices to make a dust mulch.
The purpose of a dust mulch is to produce a dry loose layer that stops wicking of moisture to the surface and is hostile to seed germination.  Disadvantages is it depletes soil life and nutrients
and is only effective until the next rain or watering.   As you mentioned leaving the hoed weeds on the surface when they have seed heads as in the video continues to feed the weed seed bank.
Use the shuffle hoe more frequently and more shallowly then is advantageous for minimizing soil disturbance and making a cop and drop mulch.
Leaving them may offer some soil protection but cutting them and leaving the roots and soil undisturbed may give better protection.  
Bottom line: do not feel that you should do everything the other person does because your circumstances and goals my be different.
Do not let other peoples standards make you feel like an inferior gardener because your garden does not look like theirs.

You might be interested in one of these more for chop and drop.  I love the ones I've had and have now which are the elcheapo's from ACE. The second one is a larger nice version with the price to match.

https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/gardening-tools/garden-hoes/7001878?store=17034&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlN6wBhCcARIsAKZvD5jXYMeC2sUGpNBxQSBzszth_JOjlYwvgiblfPfSyyvpLNIWs_ozRPIaAqX1EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

https://www.amleo.com/leonard-7-inch-stirrup-hoe/p/AS700?mkwid=|dc&pcrid=&pkw=&pmt=&plc=&kc=&prd=AS700&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=&utm_medium=cpc&slid=&prd=AS700&pgrid=&ptaid=&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlN6wBhCcARIsAKZvD5hnuNu4BHz5lmES72j5LUdSRRRBgHhksrlTw9qNtf5mkG9Xc8Tjkk4aAkNpEALw_wcB

Interesting. I bought the push pull hoe from Leonard.

The scuffle is the design that David the good uses on his wheel hoe. I’ve been thinking about one of those two, but I don’t know if my properties are enough to justify the purchase.

j

larry kidd wrote:You might be interested in one of these more for chop and drop.  I love the ones I've had and have now which are the elcheapo's from ACE. The second one is a larger nice version with the price to match.

https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/gardening-tools/garden-hoes/7001878?store=17034&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlN6wBhCcARIsAKZvD5jXYMeC2sUGpNBxQSBzszth_JOjlYwvgiblfPfSyyvpLNIWs_ozRPIaAqX1EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Jim Garlits wrote:Interesting. I bought the push pull hoe from Leonard.

The scuffle is the design that David the good uses on his wheel hoe. I’ve been thinking about one of those two, but I don’t know if my properties are enough to justify the purchase.

j

larry kidd wrote:You might be interested in one of these more for chop and drop.  I love the ones I've had and have now which are the elcheapo's from ACE. The second one is a larger nice version with the price to match.

https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/gardening-tools/garden-hoes/7001878?store=17034&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlN6wBhCcARIsAKZvD5jXYMeC2sUGpNBxQSBzszth_JOjlYwvgiblfPfSyyvpLNIWs_ozRPIaAqX1EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Yeah you have to be careful tools can be an expensive addiction especially when they let you work more efficiently.

I don't use the hoe you have, but instead, the exact stirrup hoe that Larry linked to from AMLeonard. Either way, I would leave the chopped weeds and residue as a mulch to nourish the soil.

If I knew that the weeds had seeded, I probably compost them. But isn’t the goal of  having these nice tools to get ahead of the weeds before they seed?

😁

Christopher Weeks wrote:I don't use the hoe you have, but instead, the exact stirrup hoe that Larry linked to from AMLeonard. Either way, I would leave the chopped weeds and residue as a mulch to nourish the soil.