I accidentally posted this on Southern, but meant for it here:

Well today was beautiful - if you were dressed warmly and stayed in the sun. So I had ordered a hula hoe, I've never used a hoe before. I can't see how it can work back and forth, it is so dull. So I had DH put a sharp edge on it with a file or grinder. I decided not to put an edge on both sides becoz I was going very close to stems and stalks of shrubs and perennials and didn't want to nick them. Even with the edge, it wasn't as easy as the ads and videos show. It seemed to work better in a sideways (sweeping) type motion rather than a strictly in front of you position and pulling towards you. The ground was very wet, even that didn't help. Granted, some of my weeds had rooted pretty good. And I found myself leaning down and chopping alot, which was not the idea of the long-handled hoe. There is just no substitute for getting down on my trusty little stepstool chair, and hand pulling, if you ask me. However I will continue to try and perfect my hoeing skills, and perhaps once I get control of the weeds, I can keep up with it. I really don't want to buy too many tools, but now that I've used this hoe, I can see that a circle hoe could work, and also a swan-neck one. The hoeing did not help my shoulder, with an old rotator cuff injury that's flared up recently....let me get some Aleve.

What say you about hoeing or weeding?

Laurie