Pitchforks work great for moving hay or threatening monsters, but they have limited use in turning up and aerating soil — the design just doesn’t give you a lot of leverage. If your soil’s too packed, plants have a harder time growing, and if you rely on a tiller, it can mix your built-up compost and topsoil with the lower soil too much. If you want a low-tech solution, look into a broadfork or U-bar.
The wide head of a broadfork can turn up a lot of ground in one go. And the double handle allows you to use both hands and your weight to pull up on the tines — you can step down on the space between the handles to push the fork into even the most compacted soil, gently loosening it up for growing. Also, you’ll stand out among the torches and pitchforks at the next unruly mob gathering.
Prices on the tool range between $130 to $230, and it can be difficult to find. But the design of the broadfork is so simple, some people make their own.
Orcas Broadfork [Smith and Speed]
Broadfork [Lehmans]
Broadfork [Johnny Seeds]
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
8 Responses to Pitch That Fork, And Get A Broadfork
Leave a Reply
TM on Flickr
Recent Comments
{ Thanks a lot quite a lot pertaining to revealing that with people today you really recognise that which you are talking over! Book marked. Make... } – Jun 18, 11:20 PM
{ I have had the Leaf Guard product for 5 years. Don't believe a word about their clog-less claims unless there isn't a tree anywhere near... } – Jun 18, 8:08 PM
{ i would like to know where i can bye a electric sponge cleaner. cheers } – Jun 18, 3:23 PM
{ Deltastorage does this them selves for their lock boxes online or by phone, $12.95 including shipping. They also have no way to verify ownership but... } – Jun 18, 10:15 AM
{ Just installed my racor today.... That exact thing happened. It is being returned tomorrow. Too much of a liability. } – Jun 17, 10:30 PM
I want that hat!
Woot, now I have next weekend’s welding project!
The tool, that is, not the hat.
The man behind the hat is Leonard Lee (of Lee Valley Tools) himself!
Lee Valley link (where it’s called a U-Bar Digger):
http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=1&p=10521&cat=2,42578,40769
Broadforks are a low-impact way of loosening the soil- they leave more of the beneficial underground fungal items intact, meaning less need for fertilizer.
Great tools. Dig up root crops fast and effortlessly. Build ‘em yourself I say. alot less costly. I made two for the price of Johnnys version.
I would like to find plans for building a broadfork. I am volunteering at the community garden and it would be great if we had a few of these for people to use. If anybody has a plan or can tell me how to make one I would be very grateful!! Thank you.
REad Eliot Colemans books “Four-Season Harvest” and “The New Organic Grower” published by”Chelsea Green publishing” to learn about broadforks.