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Rotavator vs Chillington Fork
BobFlannigon
Posts: 619
I've been looking into getting a rotavator, however it seems that- the majority of- people find that rotavating over weeds just makes things worse.
Firstly, is that true?
Secondly, does anyone use a Chillington Fork or Hoe to remove weeds? Lots of good reviews about them being very good for scraping weeds away, as an effective alternative to a rotavator.
I wondered, does this match your experience?
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It depends on what weeds you're rotavating.
Weeds like bindweed will regrow from tiny bits of root. So if you have 1 bindweed plant and rotavate over it the root will be chopped into lots of little bits and all of a sudden you've got 100 bindweed plants.
Same goes for stuff like docks and nettles.
I've not come across a Chillington Fork, so can't help there - my hoe gets a lot of use though
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
If you have a large area to dig over for annual veggies then a rotavator makes sense but you do first need to kill off any perennial weeds wuch as bindweed, marestail etc with some sort of weed killer..
If you're just wanting to weed beds for regular maintenance then I would advise a Wolf system push-me pull-you hoe which has two blades to decapitate weeds and can be attached to any length of handle for working close up on your knees or standing up - http://www.wolfgarten-tools.co.uk/multi-change-tools-main/soil-care-tool-heads/multi-change-push-pull-weeder-15cm There's also a narrower one if you need it and an array of other hoe and cultivator heads. I love them.
I'm sorry Bob but I don't know what a Chillington fork is either (even after looking at the website). Is it different to a regular border fork?
I wouldn't rotavate an area infested with weeds for the reasons given above. So you either need to use weedkiller a couple of times and then rotavate or rely on a fork to dig them out. The last one is my favoured option but it depends how large the area is!
I also have the Wolf hoe mentioned by Obx above which does a great job of slicing the top off annual weeds on the driveway and between rows of veg etc. but I wouldn't use it for the initial clearance - just for maintenance.
Their 3-pronged cultivator (which slots onto the same handle) has a mini-hoe on the back. It's great for no-bend light weeding between plants in the summer and tickling in fertilizer etc
Thanks for your replies. A Chillington fork is a right-angled fork with 3 prongs. It is the angle that is designed to make it easier to remove weeds (it sounds similar to the 3-pronged cultivator, Topbird).
Here's a link with a good picture...
https://www.quickcrop.co.uk/product/canterbury-fork-hoe
I have a rotovator which I find invaluable for my large veg garden every spring, but the perennials weeds should be removed first. I find it makes a good tilth for planting into and gets rid of small annual weeds.
We've just bought one for OH Busy. It will be invaluable for tending the new veggie patch and making new beds but for maintenance after planting it's the Wolf double edged hoe heads for me.
I have a Canterbury Fork bought from Chillington which is in continuous use along with my Chillington Hoe - all British made. I use the minimal cultivation method on my sandy soil and I use rows rather than beds so these tools are ideal. In the late 70s/early 80s when I had 5 allotments I had a 250cc Honda which swept through the work easily. Eventually I swapped it for 12 weaner pigs from the local FE College. Horses for courses.
My chillington hoe has a flat blade, like a small spade, at 90 degrees to the shaft,but no prongs. I've seen doubled headed with both prongs and blade.
They seem to be used all over The Americas and from Portugal all through Europe, Africa and all the way through Asia. I've never understood why they haven't taken off here in UK.
They can be used for digging, raking, making a drill. All sorts. The long handle means they can be swung like an axe for greater depth , with minimal effort.
I have to confess , the first one I brought back from Kefalonia, having watched an old boy use one on his " allotment" next to the appartment where we stayed, and I've another one I brought back from India.
Wolf do a prong and blade head in their range. I have one and do indeed use it for making drills but for weeding, it's the push-pull head every time.
Strictly speaking Chillington is a brand of Canterbury hoe they can have flat blade or be pronged. Us Brits tend to use brand names as the generic name for certain items think of Hoover & Biro. I have & use both types for different jobs. I agree with Hostafan 1 they are widely used abroad I think our soil might be a bit heavy in many areas. Different technique different Muscles.
I use a rotavator on allotment for large areas as well. Horses for courses & all that.