Hoe - Definition and Overview

The hoe is a hand tool used in farming and gardening. It has a blade, usually metal, attached to a long handle, usually wood. There are many types of blades, with a variety of uses, probably the most common of which is weeding. Along with the spade and fork, the hoe is considered a basic, essential hand farming implement.

Hoes are used to:

• agitate the surface of the soil around plants, to remove weeds
• pile soil around the base of plants (hilling)
• creating narrow furrows (drills) and shallow trenches for planting seeds and bulbs
• general light digging, soil moving, and cutting (eg: larger weeds, crop residues)

There are many types of blade of quite different appearance. Some are regional variations, and used by personal preference for the range of tasks. Others are intended for a specific use - for example, the collinear hoe has a narrow, razor-sharp blade, used to slice weeds by skimming it just above the surface of the soil in a sweeping motion.

Hoe is also a name for a square-bucket shovel installed on 3-joint hydraulic arm of an excavator or a backhoe-loader. The hoe is used for mainly digging and excavating land.

See also: tractor, loader, bulldozer, excavator.