The Simple Garden Tool That Makes Caring For A Vegetable Patch Faster & Easier

Anyone who has spent endless hours hunched over their vegetable beds, pulling weeds from between rows of tomatoes and peppers, will understand the value of a good weeding tool. Gardeners can waste all their outdoor time removing weeds from a veggie patch, and that leaves less time for other tasks. Thankfully, there's a gardening tool that will save your back while pulling weeds out by the roots. Long-handled oscillating hoes — like the Corona Oscillating Hoe from Northern Tool for $22.99 — have a sharp, curved blade at the end of the shaft. The angled head slices through weeds just below the surface of the soil.

An oscillating hoe is sometimes referred to as a stirrup hoe, a name inspired by its uniquely shaped blade that moves back and forth at the end of the handle. As you walk through rows of vegetables with this tool in hand, swing it lightly back and forth to cut weeds down at their base. Oscillating hoes are popular with savvy vegetable gardeners because they eliminate the need to kneel down when removing small, low-lying weeds. Plus, their slimline design fits neatly between tight rows of vegetables. After all, not choosing the right tool for the job is one of the most common weeding mistakes that cause weeds to keep coming back.

If you're the type of gardener who stays on top of their gardening to-do list, Northern Tool's Corona Oscillating Hoe is the tool for you. It cuts tender young weeds with both forward and backward strokes, speeding up weeding and saving you time. When working between rows of vegetables, be mindful not to take out the plants you want. Young plants are especially vulnerable — think newly planted bean seedlings or recently germinated lettuce seeds.

If, however, you're too busy to get into the garden often or regularly forget to weed your veggie patch, this tool may not be ideal. An oscillating hoe doesn't work as well on established weeds with deep roots or tough rhizomes; slicing through them takes far more effort. Likewise, if you have heavy clay or rocky soil in your vegetable garden, reconsider using an oscillating hoe, especially during wet weather. In either case, your garden probably needs more than a quick pass with the hoe to get it back to a usable condition.

There are many types of garden hoes, and they all differ in how and where you use them. If your veggie patch is really overgrown and your oscillating hoe simply won't cut the mustard — or the weeds, as the case may be — get your Dutch hoe out of your tool shed. It works better on established weeds with deep taproots or large root systems.