Fork Handles!

Our First BroadFork - February 2010

Right back in 2010, when Malcolm first contacted us about possibly selling BroadForks, one of the first hurdles was to find suitable handles for them.  We started by recommending the 1.5m (5ft) handles made for a particular type of 'Post Hole Digger'.  They fitted OK, but straight away there seemed to be a big problem with availability, so we looked around for alternative sources.

Soon we found that we couldn't easily get 5ft ash poles of the right diameter, so we had to settle for 1.2m (4ft) and then spent quite a bit of time shaping the ends of these to fit the BroadForks.  Along the way, we also changed suppliers!

After a little while, the new supplier in Wales offered to make a handle that was shaped to fit the BroadForks, and was also a little bit 'contoured' – and so our 'Shaped' BroadFork handles appeared in September 2016.
Update, February 2020:  Unfortunately, our Welsh supplier now seems unable to supply us with these shaped handles.  We'll let you know if they become available again.

At the same time, we were looking for ash handles for hand tools in the Glaser range, as more and more customers were telling us how difficult it was to find 28mm diameter handles in ash.  Not many years ago, we could just walk into our local hardware/DIY shop and buy ordinary 'broom handles', which were always made of ash wood.  Now the only thing we could find were rather poor quality pine handles, which were light and tended to split very easily.  We started stocking and selling these, simply because it seemed that nothing else was available.

1.2m BroadFork handles.   Top: 'shaped'  Bottom: 'plain'

Eventually, early in 2017, we found a supplier in Yorkshire for good quality ash handles and began offering them on our website, which started a steady trickle of orders which still continues . . .

High levels of demand for BroadForks, combined with delays in the supply of the shaped handles, led to us asking this new supplier whether he could produce some for us.  He could, and quite quickly, so our 'Plain' BroadFork handles soon became available and have now become our standard handles.

In late 2017, the process seemed to come full circle, as a customer enquired about 5ft handles for his BroadFork.  A quick email to our Yorkshire supplier and now we have a supply of 5ft ash handles for BroadForks!  Useful if you are a bit taller, or just want the extra leverage.

A quest for longer 28mm diameter handles seems to have started as well.  In response to a customer request, in July 2017 we bought in a supply of 1.8m (6ft) x 28mm handles.  Initially, we did not offer these on the website because of the scary postage costs, but then another customer enquired about them and wanted to order some.  He just couldn't find them anywhere else!  So, we thought, there may be more folk out there with the same needs – so they are on the website, too!  Especially useful for a rake or just for longer-reach hoeing.

The problem with all of these handles is the high cost of sending them by post or carrier, so we always suggest that customers try to find ash handles locally.  The increasing number of orders makes us realise, though, that they remain difficult to find anywhere!

So, if you find that you need to order from us, think about ordering more than one to save on the postage costs.  If you don't need more handles yourself, how about sharing with a friend?

UPDATED   5th February 2020

Ho-Mi Price Reductions ! !

Great News!

When we ordered some Ho-Mi earlier this year, we were shocked and disappointed to find that the costs of importing them had become ridiculously high.  Somehow we felt that we were being asked to pay far too much in fees and handling charges, especially at the UK end of the transaction.

Sadly, we needed to raise our retail prices to avoid making losses.

Some careful investigation revealed that we could make use of a much better way of handling the importation process.  This has enabled us to reduce the prices by almost a third, bringing them down to about the same as before, in spite of the fact that the UK Pound is still weak compared to the US Dollar.

Find these new prices at our Ho-Mi page.

Happy gardening!

BroadForking – Genuine Benefits

We are really grateful to Pete Dollimore of Hankham Organics for his feedback on using his BroadFork.  He very kindly says that he is "happy to promote a crafted product that has such great benefits for soil, food and fitness!"

Here's his experience so far (15th December 2016):–

Regarding the broadfork we purchased off you nearly a year ago, it has been far more successful than I imagined. Firstly the task of manually digging our 50m² beds when we're used to using machinery was quite daunting. We have a 1.5 acre glasshouse with 90 such beds, but actually our staff and I enjoyed the work and managed to get around a third of these broadforked this season. Previously we have used a subsoiler and/or spading machine but I have been increasingly concerned that the compaction caused by the tractor was doing more harm than good.

It was obvious that our subsoil needed some attention the moment we stuck the tines in and the results have been clear cut. We experimented with 2 beds of early courgettes, forking one bed and not the other. All other variables such as compost, variety, cultivations and watering were identical. The broadforked bed did much better with healthier plants, better yield and a longer harvest season.

I am embarrassed to admit I didn't take the opportunity to take a picture as proof but, after growing full time for 20 years I am somewhat more embarrassed that I have only just discovered the benefits of this marvellous tool! I would like to re run the experiment next season but am loathe to deny a whole bed the treatment I know will help them grow well. We'll see, but if I do I'll be sure to get the evidence and send it on.

Thanks, Pete!
Anyone else with BroadFork experiences to share? Please get in touch!

Recovering the Polytunnel

You can read that title in at least two ways, both of which are true . . .

As we told you back in February, our tunnel plastic was so damaged that we resorted to covering the damaged end with heavy-duty black plastic, weighed down with old tyres.  Not beautiful, but it got us through the worst of the winter.

The spring came, then the summer, and we still had not managed to get the new cover on.  The tomatoes, peppers, aubergines and other plants went in as normal, but the tunnel was not its normal cosy self.  One end was distinctly colder after we took the black plastic off!  It was a choice of warm and dark or cooler but light.  We settled for the cooler, lighter option and the plants survived – though the tomatoes have really suffered with blight this year.  Being tomatoes, though, they soldiered on and have given us quite a good crop anyway.  (The potatoes in the field shrivelled and died back all too quickly).  

Perhaps if it had just been a case of putting on some new plastic, we might have done it sooner, but there was more to be done.

When the tunnel was erected in late 1999, the plastic was buried in trenches along the sides but, as you can see in this picture, we have now fitted  4 x 2 wooden rails all round the tunnel, for two reasons:– 1) To be able to fit metal sheeting below so that we can strim right up to the tunnel with no danger to the plastic and 2) so that we could attach aluminium channel to them for our new method of fixing the plastic – 'Wiggle Wire'.

Here is the tunnel with all the plastic removed, 20th September 2016, but with the channel in place on the rails and round the doors, ready for the Wiggle Wire to hold the plastic.

First, though, the need to remove the disintegrating 'anti-hotspot' tape and attach new tape.  After 17 years, the old tape was hardly there but was enough to stop the new tape sticking to the hoops.  Scrape and stick – up and down those ladders again and again!

Finally, the moment arrived when we unfolded the new plastic and laid it alongside the tunnel.  Would we be able to pull it over the hoops OK?  Just the two of us?

Of course, we can't show you pictures of us pulling it over, because we had our hands full and could not step back to take a photo . . .

But we managed it OK, more easily than either of us had expected.  That nice new anti-hotspot tape was really slippery and the plastic slid over smoothly.

By now, it was late in the day, so we just loosely fixed it to stay in place overnight.  It WAS a very windless night, fortunately!

Next day, the task of fixing it properly!  First we undid the temporary fixing.  Good old Wiggle Wire!  It was as easy to remove as it had been to fit, with no damage to the plastic.

We tensioned it end-to-end first, fixing the plastic to the tops and sides of the door frames.  

You can see the simplicity of the Wiggle Wire system.  Not much strength needed to flex the wire into the channel with one hand, while holding the tension of the plastic with the other – and a really positive grip on the plastic, too!

Then, just a matter of fixing along one side and then tensioning along the other.

It may not be a 100% professional-looking job, but the result is good and the plastic is drum-tight.

Just got to finish off by covering the doors and making and fixing new larger automatic thermostatically-operated vents.  That is currently 'work in progress' and we will try to update you when it is finished.

Needless to say, the inside of the polytunnel immediately began to feel like the tropics again, like it should have done all summer.  Too late for the tomatoes to recover, but the peppers and chillies have suddenly accelerated and the aubergines are making a valiant effort at flowering, though it may be too late for much (if any) fruit from them.

Yes, our polytunnel has been re-covered and is now recovering well, just in time for the salads and other overwintering goodies we need to get going in there.

P.S. (2nd December) By popular demand, here is a link to Northern Polytunnels' Wiggle Wire page.

Soil Blocker News - New Looks for Ladbrooke!

Some of the Ladbrooke Soil Blockers now have a new look!

A new light green polyester resin finish is now available for the Micro 20 and the Mini 4, in addition to the familiar zinc-plated version we have known for years.

Both versions of these two models now also have fully-rounded handles – probably going to be a bit more comfortable to use, especially as you apply the pressure to form those lovely little blocks!

The resin finish is fully rustproof and may look a little more attractive.  Perhaps a suitable present with a slightly less utilitarian appearance?

Two more additions to the range are aimed to cater for the needs of the larger-scale grower who does not want such large soil blocks, but rather wants the maximum number to fit into limited space.  

The Multi 30 produces 30 blocks, each 30mm (1⅛ inch) cubes, which means that you can fit 60 of them into a standard UK/European seed tray.  Just two 'passes' of the blocker and the tray is full!

If you are using the larger US standard 1020 seed trays, then the Multi 35 enables you to fill each one with 105 blocks (again the 30mm / 1⅛ inch cubes) in just three 'passes'.  The 'footprint' of the Multi 35 is 224mm (8¾") x 155mm (6¼").

While we are talking about how many 'passes' fill a seed tray, it's worth noting that all the other 'Multi' blockers share the same 'footprint' as the new Multi 30  and measure 190mm (7½") x 155mm (6¼") at the base.  This means that, in a UK / European standard seed tray, you can fit:

12 blocks from the Multi 6, 24 blocks from the Multi 12 (or from the Mini 4) or 40 blocks from the Multi 20 (or from the Mini 5).

The less exciting news is that, after several years of keeping their prices unchanged, Ladbrooke Soil Blockers have recently needed to increase their prices.  They have done really well to hold them for so long, and the retail price rises that we have had to make over the last few years have all been caused by postage increases.

More information on our updated Soil Blockers page, with even more detail here as well.  If you need a general introduction to using Soil Blocks, this may be useful, too.

The SAALET Easy Sower - How Good Is It ?

Mechanised seeders tend to be expensive but, if you have a lot of seed to sow, they begin to make sense.  Certainly, we have been impressed with the simple aluminium EarthWay Seeder which we have used since 1998, and it continues to be a popular item in our 'Online ToolShop'.

Then, last year, we started to sell the (much cheaper) SAALET Easy Sower from Denmark.  Made of plastic instead of aluminium, it is obviously less robust, but we had been encouraged by Eliot Coleman's comments in his book The New Organic Grower : "Another seeder option I have found useful in the greenhouse is the SAALET or "So Easy Super Seeder" made in Denmark.  This is a small plastic unit for home gardeners with seed plates that adapt to most seed sizes and spacing requirements.  It is inexpensive and built well enough that I use it commercially.  I have a number of them permanently set up with different seed plates for the seed sizes I use.  The only modification I have made is to replace the cheap plastic handle with a wooden one." (Chapter 23 - The Winter Garden).

We have not really tested ours thoroughly enough yet to be able to offer our own feedback, but we have had one largely negative review from Justin in New England and one very brief but fairly positive one from Neil in London.

Here Justin's complete review (including some American spelling!):

"Review of the Saalet Sower/Easy Seeder
"I was not compensated in any way for this review. 

"Task: Plant assorted vegetable seeds in a roughly 1000 square foot garden.  Purpose: Conduct planting faster, with less waste, and more even spacing.

"Arrival and assembly: The seeder arrived in a single small box, and went together with ease.  There are only a couple of metal components on the seeder which consist of a of nuts and bolts, everything else is high density rigid plastic. 

"Initial impressions:  I removed the furrower/depth gauge and ran it on a carpet with some peas.  It placed them as expected evenly and simply.  I like the fact that the disks store in one of the wheels, however if they are not placed in a specific order they rattle while the tool is in use.  The handle is too short for most adults.  I will be replacing mine with a wooden dowel of appropriate length. 

"Use:  I began by preparing the garden with the tractor plow, then the rototiller followed by a rake to make smooth rows.  If you are planning on gardening in kitty litter or sawdust the Saalet seeder will work perfectly.  If you plan on gardening in dirt specifically good dirt with pieces of organic material, suitable moisture, and possibly a few small aggregate minerals (rocks) this thing won't work at all in any way.  For some reason the peas were jamming the disk, the wheels were still turning and it would pop over the engagement point on the jammed disk.  With seeds other than peas it was also hit or miss for spacing due to other problems mentioned next.  The furrower will not cut through soil with bits of anything in it, material will start to pile up in front of the furrower.  The original handle starts to flex badly when the furrower is set lower than the top setting.  All of these complications result in this machine, that requires perfect conditions, to work inconsistently if at all. 

"Durability: Before the seeder even saw use in the garden it fell from storage in my barn, about 5 feet.  It was fully assembled and broke in several places.  I was able to bring it back to fully functional with several zip ties and some epoxy.  This is not a durable tool.  I wish that the body and wheels were cast out of aluminum or steel, it would be indestructible at that point and it would have the heft to make it functional in a wider variety of soil conditions.    

"Conclusions:  This seeder fails to meet any of the requirements in my initial task and purpose statement.  If I could ask for a refund I would.  There is a reason why there have never been many seeders on the market and why the classic ones demand such a high price.  I plan to look for an old Planet Junior made of metal that will still function when my son gives it to his grandson."

Thanks, Justin, but it is pretty negative!  To be fair, the manufacturer's 'User Manual' leaflet states very clearly "The Easy Sower can only sow directly in well prepared soil."  We emphasise the same point on our website by saying:

 "We have only just started trialling our own Easy Sower but here are some initial tips:- 

"1)  Don’t expect too much of it!  If your soil is hard, heavy or lumpy, the Easy Sower will not be able to make a neat furrow.  Consider getting the soil to a finer tilth before sowing, or make the furrow with a hoe or rake before  using the seeder.

"2) In the same way, wet muddy soil will tend to clog up the Easy Sower - and is hardly ideal for seed sowing, anyway!"

Our friend Neil has also tried his hand at the SAALET and his comments are brief and to the point: "I used the seeder the other day and I can see why the others suggested the use of a broom handle. The plastic handle flexes as you push the seeder and therefore does not give a constant rotation and feels flimsy."  He hasn't made any other comment!

In summary, it seems that, so far, everyone agrees that it is worth fitting a wooden broom handle and it looks like that should help to reduce at least some of the problems that Justin listed.  His other battles mainly seem to relate to the difficulty of pushing this lightweight machine through heavy soil.  As we also have heavy soil, we can sympathise.  Eliot uses his SAALETs in his greenhouses/polytunnels but is convinced enough to go on using them.  Obviously, soil conditions are a little more controllable inside a greenhouse and I think Eliot's soil tends to be lighter and sandier than ours but, all the same, he is a professional grower and needs kit that will work for him and earn its keep!

We will go on trying ours out and let you know how we get on.  How about you?  Do please email us if you have some feedback to share on this or any other of the tools we sell.  We will be happy to publish your comments on this blog – with your permission, of course.

Weedlings Beware !

In the back of The New Organic Grower, Eliot Coleman recommends many valuable books but, a few months ago, courtesy of Abe Books, I found a copy of one that had particularly taken my attention – Intensive Gardening by Dalziel O'Brien (1956).

Eliot lists it as one of his favourites and I think I can see why.  Unless I am very mistaken, it seems that the germ of his approach to weed control ("Don't weed – cultivate!") is here in this old classic book.

The author writes about using what he calls a 'Scrapper' to clear and cultivate the covered beds in an old 'Dutch Light' system.  This hand tool looks quite like some small onion hoes that I have seen advertised but never bought or used.

It occurred to me that it also has a lot in common with one of the South Korean hand tools that we sell, the 'Ambi' Ho-Mi.  Ironically, this used to be known as the 'Scraper' Ho-Mi, but we re-named it to emphasise its suitability for ambidextrous use and therefore its appeal to left-handed gardeners. The name 'Scraper' did not seem to do it justice, which may help to explain why it has not been so popular as its siblings, the Large and Small Ho-Mis.  Not until now, anyway!

For me at least, it has now moved well up the ratings and is my preferred Ho-Mi.  For quick removal of seedling weeds ('weedlings') between crop plants in the the raised beds of our polytunnel, it seems to be the ideal tool.  I am not left-handed (maybe slightly ambidextrous) but the more balanced shape of this Ho-Mi lends itself to precise moves to either side, minimising the risk of decapitating our crops!

For bed preparation in the tunnel, the Oscillating Hoe is my favourite.  (In the field, it's a wheelhoe with stirrup hoe attachments).   For weedling clearance around well-spaced crops, especially in the open, the Collinear Hoe remains my weapon of choice.  But as soon as I need to work in smaller areas, and especially when the Collinear Hoe's long handle threatens to tangle with strings supporting crops, I now reach for my 'Ambi' Ho-Mi and can work quickly along the rows.

I don't 'scrape' with it, just drawing it along the surface.  No – following the principle of Eliot's Collinear Hoe – I hold the tool almost vertical and slice through the soil just below the surface.  As soon as I had developed this action, the next step was obvious – sharpen the blade!  Those weedlings don't just get disturbed, they get sliced!

So, are my polytunnel beds all completely weed-free?  Not yet!  But at least I have a quick way of getting those seedling weeds before they get big enough to spawn the next generation.

What a harmonious combination of 1950's British gardening innovation, 1990's American inspiration and centuries-old Korean tradition!