From Russia with hoe

Ploskorez Swage – Product Review

Review by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

PLOSKOREZ SWAGE S, 1.30 m, Stainless Cultivator+Weeder Hoe

PloskorezSwage1Long Handle 1.3m. Strong, 3-edge-sharp, swaged & pointed stainless steel head, oiled wooden (Aspen or Birch) rounded-rectangular handle for upright position strain-free work (hold it with both thumbs facing the sky). Light weight.

Adjustable head allowing precision work around flowers or vegetables. Indispensable for all soil work (from subsurface down to 150 mm), loosening, planting, mounding, shaping and weeding tasks in larger areas and along long rows. Weed the patio hard surfaces. Slash overgrown weeds. Chop/Mix compost.

Blend fertilizers and compost into the soil. Mix up concrete. Contributes to improving soil structure. Aerates and mellows the soil. Breaks down clots. Hoe without moving a lot of soil. Hook. Rake. Chop. Slash unwanted plant growth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_ecnW_6muE

I have encountered the Ploskorez tools for the first time ever in the real world – having seen it before online – at the Edible Garden Show 2014 at the Alexandra Place on Friday, March 28, 2014 where Vladimir Kondratyuk kindly allowed me to take one for review I can but say that so far I am very impressed (and I do not impress easily) as to the capabilities of this tool.

Having used this tool in a test-drive, so to speak, on an old heap of soil that was totally overgrown with weeds and grass and consisted mainly of a clay mix I am very impressed indeed with this hoe (well, it is more than a hoe really) in the way it has turned that material into lovely soil that I would be able to plant in straight away had that been my aim.

One problem I encountered though and that is due to the fact that I did not read the instructions and used the standard hand hold for a drag hoe rather than the one with both thumbs towards the sky and nearly go myself some blisters.

So, the one thing to remember when using this tool is that the grip must be overhand with your thumbs forward – pointing to the sky, so to speak – and not the standard grip that all too often is used with the round handled hoes and such where the thumb points backwards. The latter will get you blisters... as the man says... use with both thumbs facing the sky...

The PLOSKOREZ Swage hoe (which is more than a hoe really) will be equally at home in the commercial smallholding and market garden as well as the allotment and the home garden with raised beds and can handle more or less anything that is thrown at it, I should think.

Oh, did I mention that I love the Ploskorez Swage Hoe. Well, I do and that very much and I believe that it will be THE tool that from now on will go into the garden with me each and every time.

For more information visit http://www.ploskorez.co.uk/

© 2014

Disclosure: I received a Ploskorez Swage hoe for review purposes, but all opinions here are mine.

The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.