That is awesome Dave! I need me a shovel with an edge like that!

OK I showed my hubby - now it's up to him

Great gardening tip. I've got the shovel: All it needs is sharpened. Thanks for posting.

I have the shovel and the rake and the weeds. Can I borrow Jon for a few days?
Great and easy solution. Thanks.

Hey, that's what my flower garden looks like. Guess DH will have to sharpen his shovel and I'll get the rake!

Great technique, Dave.

This is my shovel:

http://www.wwmfg.com/default.a...

I paid over $80 for it, plus shipping, but I sure love the shovel. Buying it was an excellent decision and I know this shovel will probably outlast me by a long shot.

That has got to be about the fastest weeding I've seen done by hand! Great idea, Dave!

Very cool! Great job weeding, and fast!

Shoe

Great way to weed!
When you finish there, please take care of my garden. My address is....

Hey, @dave, why not show the folks how you sharpen that shovel.

I can show that.

Something I am wondering about ....

In my yard here in Florida, we have all kinds of weeds, too. I have found that if I do NOT pull the entire root system out, many times the weeds come back from the roots left behind. Does your method work for such weeds? Some of my weeds have a runner root system, some just have roots like most plants, and some have tubers.

This technique will probably not permanently eradicate those kinds of plants. Especially those with deeper and larger root systems that can regrow from suckers or runners. If I had that in a garden, I'd clear the top vegetation and then cover it with thick cardboard followed by mulch.

Thanks, Dave. Your suggestion is exactly what I do, though I do raised beds for most of mine because of the other issues with Florida soil.

Very good and quick job, I wish I was that energetic.
I like the idea of leaving the roots in the soil, they enrich it as they decompose, and a good mulch should take care of the new growth.
I usually cut them at ground level with trimmers.

Hooray! Shovel skimming! This is the job that i always wound up with as an archaeologist--clearing archaeological sites. I am only 5 ft 6 and for me I much prefer a long ash-handled shovel--its lighter weight and a lot less work for an afternoon of skimming. But as you can see, this is much easier than hoeing a crop of tall weeds.

and with a razor = sharp shovel it really is fun! (And I never had a super helper like you have in the video).

Tip: Never sharpen the back of the shovel! You need a chisel edge to plane away those weeds.

I knew you'd be happy about this video, hazelnut. And you're right about the chisel edge. Only sharpen the top of the blade. Leave the bottom flat.

I actually sharpen it with an electric sander! It works great and saves work.

I think I mentioned before, we use a round nose and cut off the tip. As you can see from this "field song" we can get quite attached to our shovels --and to shovel skimming!

http://archaeology.about.com/o...

One advantage of the long handled shovel is that it gives you momentum when you lunge forward, so you are using your legs and back as a source of power, rather than just the biceps. And this, together with a razor sharp shovel edge, allows you to work in a sustained fashion clearing surface vegetation for hours at a time.

Even you could do it, Sharon!

I'd like to see a photo of your shovel.

Super fantastic! I thought I wanted a nice sharp spade (that I haven't been able to find anywhere)! This is way better!