digging your beds? double digging even?

[Fusion_power]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=dv-bJbVfdYg

Someone in Finland found this. Looks interesting.

DarJones

[Durgan]

Totally utterly useless, IMHO.

[mitchota]

That looks like a broadfork on steroids. That would have been useful for the raised bed I just made this past week. Double digging that out was a colossal pain.

It's definitely a cool idea. Not sure how much I'd need one now, but I wouldn't complain if I had one.

[Durgan]

You would complain. Any tool with a handle which requires muscle power is hard work, and that tool is very, very hard work. A great case for slavery and an overseer with a whip. Look closer at the friable soil the demonstrator is working. Seldom do people have soil even approaching that texture. The tool is in the same class as the CLAW.

[frogsleap farm]

Wow, I'd definitely use this in my raised beds. Anyone know if it is available in the U.S.?

[bughunter99]

I'm of the opinion that double digging is horrible for the soil and a complete waste of time for all but the most highly compacted and already a mess soil situations.

[PA_Julia]

That's a really fascinating tool.

I roto till three to four feet down and add my amendments.

[Douglas_OW]

Originally Posted by PA_Julia

That's a really fascinating tool.

I roto till three to four feet down and add my amendments.

Four Feet Down?
I'd be fascinated to know what kind of equipment you're using now. Whatever it is, I don’t think that you’ll replace it with any manual tool.

Jim

[jerryinfla]

Originally Posted by frogsleap farm

Wow, I'd definitely use this in my raised beds. Anyone know if it is available in the U.S.?

I don't think it would work all that well in raised beds, assuming your beds have fixed borders. The long arms in front and back of the fork would not allow you to work close to the borders. On the other hand a broadfork works great in beds no wider than 4 feet or so. My beds are 4 feet wide and I can reach the middle from each side with my broadfork. When I get back to the edges rather than rocking the broadfork back and forth after I bury the tines, I use the handles to gently twist the tines allowing me to work the soil to within inches of the borders.

[JimmyCrackedCorn]

Originally Posted by PA_Julia

That's a really fascinating tool.

I roto till three to four feet down and add my amendments.

Four feet down? Wouldn't just the handle of the tiller be visible at that point?

[clkeiper]

looks like a "scam" tool to me. the soil is already worked. how much more does it need to be. I think it would take a man of substantial muscle to use it for any length of time... as in more than 3 ft. of bed. I don't think I would use it more than once, really.

Julia, are you sure 3-4 feet? That is like about to your waist if you are 5'5". I have a few heavy equipment peices available and I would never let my husband (or me, either) dig down that far. All I would have is more rocks if he did that to the garden area. We have a rock picking party every spring as it is. The rocks seems to push up every spring, a whole new crop. I think in one 1 acre area we picked up a wheel loader bucket more than 1/2 full...That said, I would never get that tool (double digger broadfork thingy) even pushed into the ground in most places here to break up any soil.

[gggeek]

Originally Posted by Durgan

You would complain. Any tool with a handle which requires muscle power is hard work, and that tool is very, very hard work. A great case for slavery and an overseer with a whip. Look closer at the friable soil the demonstrator is working. Seldom do people have soil even approaching that texture. The tool is in the same class as the CLAW.

/sniff

I love my CLAW

[Got Worms?]

To me, it appears that the tool shown was designed to break up small clods. It'd be okay as long as you don't have heavy clay, and just want to "touch up" before planting.

You definitely don't want to go down 3 or 4 feet with it.
Charlie