How to make gardening easier

the essentials in brief

• One Schuffel reminiscent of a hoe, however, it is used to remove weeds quickly and easily from beds and on gravelly and stony surfaces.
• Thanks to the long handle, you no longer need to bend down, and weeding is done by simply moving the shuffle forwards and backwards. A specially designed sheet makes it possible.
• Shuffles are available in various shapes and blade widths. They are therefore suitable for use on beds and paths as well as for narrow and difficult-to-access garden areas.
• Shuffling is best done in dry weather. Then just leave the weeds as Mulch(€ 239.00 at Amazon *) lie on the floor or collect it - it's up to you.

What is a shuffle?

On dry and sunny summer days, the Schuffel is exactly the right garden tool to quickly remove unwanted weeds from beds and paths. The Dutch Schuffel is not yet very well known to us, but it is widespread among our Dutch neighbors and in the English-speaking world.

The tool usually consists of a long wooden handle - which should ideally reach your chest, then it is the right length - and a flat metal plate. In addition to the handle shuffles, there are also so-called hand shuffles, which only have a short handle. The Schuffel is sometimes referred to as the Stieger.

Types of shuffle - the right shuffle for every application

There are different types of shuffle, which differ from each other mainly in the shape and size of the metal blade. As a rule, these devices have a rectangular or diamond-shaped blade, which is mostly made of stainless steel. Depending on the manufacturer and intended use, both the handles are in different lengths - suitable the height of the user - as well as the metal blades in different blade widths available. Basically, you should choose wider shuffles for larger areas, while the smaller and narrower shapes are well suited for smaller or harder-to-reach areas.

In addition to the leaf width and the stem length, shuffles also differ in the shape of their leaves:

Advantages and disadvantages

The shuffle enables back-friendly weed removal

Are you unsure whether a Schuffel is the right garden tool for you? First of all, it should be said that this tool is mainly used on larger, loosely planted beds and Because it is useful to use - namely where there are proliferating weeds such as nettles and chickweed Etc. Find the best growing conditions and have to be removed regularly anyway. Otherwise, the table below shows you the most important advantages and disadvantages of this garden tool.

Shuffle properly - How to use a shuffle correctly

Using the shuffle takes some practice at the beginning. However, once you get the hang of it, weeding practically works by itself. And that is how it works:

1. Slide the metal plate just below the dry surface of the earth.
2. Now move it slowly back and forth.
3. Cut through the roots of the weeds just below the surface.
4. Then let the weeds dry out in the sun.
5. Gather or rake away the weeds.

In this way, weeding works very quickly: For a kitchen garden of around 400 square meters, you need less than an hour for this work. You can see how to use it correctly in this video:

However, a shuffle cannot be used in every case. For example, if the weeds grow very close to the garden plants - especially on perennials, vegetable plants or Trees - you still have to remove them by hand, otherwise you will inadvertently remove the plants to damage.

Areas of application

Shuffles are primarily intended for larger, open areas such as fallow or just To remove weeds from loosely planted beds and paths (including paths paved with stones or gravel). This work should be done about once a week in dry weather. If it is rainy, however, you should either shuffle more often or remove the weeds by hand. The metal sheet does not slide easily in damp ground.

Digression

Doesn't the shuffle dull on stone or gravel?

Buy shuffles - providers, prices and important purchase criteria

Buying a shuffle is worth it

You can buy shuffles in brick-and-mortar stores - for example, in gardening shops of your choice - as well as in various online shops. From large internet department stores (such as Amazon or eBay) to the online shops of gardening and hardware stores (Obi, Toom etc.) to the specialty stores themselves, these devices are from a wide variety of providers available. There is a particularly large selection of shuffles with rectangular or straight blades, with well-known brands such as Gardena, Wolf or Tom-Garten, of course, being ahead with their own products.

What does a shuffle cost?

There are big differences between the various manufacturers and brands, both in terms of price and quality. Shuffles are available for purchase prices of only approx. five up to more than 70 EUR available. The Sneeboer Schuffel, which is significantly more expensive than the competition, stands out in particular.

Basically, we advise you to invest a little more in good quality and high-quality materials - the better you can work with the device and the more satisfied you will be with the result. Shuffles that are very inexpensive in terms of price often have the problem that they quickly become blunt or that Material is brittle - they only have a short lifespan and therefore have to be bought more often will.

Digression

What is special about a Sneeboer Schuffel? Doesn't a cheaper model do it too?

frequently asked Questions

What alternatives to the Schuffel are there? Which garden tools make weeding easier?

Iron weeder can also remove stubborn weeds

If you want to make removing the weeds easy, you can use a shuffle as well as a Pendulum hoe respectively. reach for the iron weeder. Both can be used in a standing, back-friendly position and work in a very similar way to the shuffle. The advantage of the iron weeder is that it also removes stubborn, woody weeds and is also very suitable for use on heavy, solidified soils.

How do I clean my shuffle correctly? And above all, with what?

Occasional maintenance measures are necessary to ensure that garden tools last a long time and do not rust prematurely. As spade and Co., it is best to clean a shuffle with clear water and a brush, which should be done after every gardening season at the latest. Otherwise the shuffle should be thoroughly cleared of soil after each use.

How do you sharpen a shuffle correctly?

Newly purchased shuffles do not need to be sharpened, they are already ready for use. It is only after a while that cheaper models become dull and no longer achieve such good results. In such a case, you can re-sharpen the blade with a whetstone (available from a hardware store, for example). Make sure you only grind out the bumps that have arisen. But be careful: Not every material can simply be resharpened without further ado! You should therefore ensure that the device does not lose its sharpness with careful care and the occasional rust removal from the leaf.