In-row weeder
So my gardening bible is Dick Raymond's 'Joy of Gardening'. In the book he talks about using an In-row Weeder to nip out early weeds. The device is of his own manufacture and is not currently being sold anywhere I can find. I've tried to google and sent an e-mail to the only address that seems remotely close but did not hear anything back. Does anyone either have one, or know where there might be some old stock sitting around?
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Venomous_1
- Cool Member
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- Location: Murfreesboro, TN - USDA Zone 6b
Thanks for the reply, but not quite the same thing. I can't find a picture online so I may do a screengrab from the book tonight. In the meantime, here's a description:
"This lightweight tool is specially designed to remove weeds near closely spaced plants in beds. It has six stainless-steel tines in an arc that can be adjusted from three inches to nine inches across, and an easy-to-grip, detachable handle."
"This lightweight tool is specially designed to remove weeds near closely spaced plants in beds. It has six stainless-steel tines in an arc that can be adjusted from three inches to nine inches across, and an easy-to-grip, detachable handle."
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elevenplants
- Senior Member
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- Location: alabama
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elevenplants
- Senior Member
- Posts: 187
- Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 1:23 pm
- Location: alabama
Uh oh. There may be trouble. 
I believe I mentioned we moved last October? Well, I distinctly remember that my husband asked me if we were keeping the weeder, and I said yes! I got that from Uncle Dave! But just now, when I went to the tool shed to look.....guess what? It isn't there. 
Maybe he knows where he put it.
I sure hope so. It's a great device, and I could really use it now with my onions after all this rain.
Rebecca
I believe I mentioned we moved last October? Well, I distinctly remember that my husband asked me if we were keeping the weeder, and I said yes! I got that from Uncle Dave! But just now, when I went to the tool shed to look.....guess what? It isn't there. Maybe he knows where he put it.
I sure hope so. It's a great device, and I could really use it now with my onions after all this rain.
Rebecca
Does it look anything like the dandelion fork in this illustration?
https://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/TURF/PESTS/weedhand.html
I have a longer "weeding stick" with two slightly wider-spaced teeth. It's incredible for the tap-rooted weeds here. Not so useful against oxalis, but terrific vs. dandelions, redstem filagree, common mallow, and other similar structured weeds.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
https://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/TURF/PESTS/weedhand.html
I have a longer "weeding stick" with two slightly wider-spaced teeth. It's incredible for the tap-rooted weeds here. Not so useful against oxalis, but terrific vs. dandelions, redstem filagree, common mallow, and other similar structured weeds.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
It was actually modeled after a tractor-pulled weeder. It's got a long handle like a hoe or rake so you stand upright while using. The tines are long, 12" or so? and made to flex. You drag it across the row like you would a rake and the tines are flexible enough to not damage the established plants, but rough up the soil enough to pull out the weeds that are just sprouting. I'll try to get a picture of it tonight if Rebecca can't track hers down 
OK. Let me bark up another tree, since I definitely selected the wrong one before! 
Lehman's in Ohio offers the "Weedivator," a combination of scuffle hoe and tined head, on a 59-1/2" long or a 15" (short) handle:
https://www.lehmans.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=4917&itemType=PRODUCT&RS=1&keyword=Weedivator
The long handle is back ordered, but maybe you can get on the waiting list?
Cynthia
Lehman's in Ohio offers the "Weedivator," a combination of scuffle hoe and tined head, on a 59-1/2" long or a 15" (short) handle:
https://www.lehmans.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=4917&itemType=PRODUCT&RS=1&keyword=Weedivator
The long handle is back ordered, but maybe you can get on the waiting list?
Cynthia
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elevenplants
- Senior Member
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OK here are the pictures:
[img]https://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p158/moonballer/DSC00171.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p158/moonballer/DSC00172.jpg[/img]
Cynthia the tines are longer and more flexible then the last one you showed me. It may still work, but maybe this will spark another idea?
[img]https://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p158/moonballer/DSC00171.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p158/moonballer/DSC00172.jpg[/img]
Cynthia the tines are longer and more flexible then the last one you showed me. It may still work, but maybe this will spark another idea?
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Gary350
- Super Green Thumb
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- Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.
I have seen those things, never knew with they were called. If your soil is hard that tool is almost impossible to use.
I shoveled 4000 lbs of sand and 2000 lbs of crushed lime stone onto my garden. I put 4 bales of 3.8 cu ft of peat moss on my 20' x 45' garden every spring and till it in. That tool would work in my garden. I use a hoe to weed the rows, I just hold the hoe down against the dirt and walk to the other end of the row turn around and walk back. I hold my hoe to one side as I walk down the row then I hold it to the other side as I walk back. My hoe acts like a road grader blade I can till up the whole 20 ft row in less than 30 seconds. I can peal up soil 1" deep, I can weed my whole garden in a few minutes. The sun actually kills the weeds all I do is brake up the soil so the weeds dry out and die.
I tried my garden rake for weeding but it is about 4 times wider than my hoe that makes it very hard to pull through the dirt. That tool in the picture appears to be about 1/2 the width of a garden rake so it might not be to hard to use in soil like mine.
Home Depot, Lowe's and Hardware stores all have a tool just like that only difference is the tool is only 5" wide. It has about 5 prongs about 4" long. Not sure what it is called but it works great for weeding too. Just pull it through the soil like a tractor pulls a cultivator.
I shoveled 4000 lbs of sand and 2000 lbs of crushed lime stone onto my garden. I put 4 bales of 3.8 cu ft of peat moss on my 20' x 45' garden every spring and till it in. That tool would work in my garden. I use a hoe to weed the rows, I just hold the hoe down against the dirt and walk to the other end of the row turn around and walk back. I hold my hoe to one side as I walk down the row then I hold it to the other side as I walk back. My hoe acts like a road grader blade I can till up the whole 20 ft row in less than 30 seconds. I can peal up soil 1" deep, I can weed my whole garden in a few minutes. The sun actually kills the weeds all I do is brake up the soil so the weeds dry out and die.
I tried my garden rake for weeding but it is about 4 times wider than my hoe that makes it very hard to pull through the dirt. That tool in the picture appears to be about 1/2 the width of a garden rake so it might not be to hard to use in soil like mine.
Home Depot, Lowe's and Hardware stores all have a tool just like that only difference is the tool is only 5" wide. It has about 5 prongs about 4" long. Not sure what it is called but it works great for weeding too. Just pull it through the soil like a tractor pulls a cultivator.