[mayo girl 64]

I want to open up a new vegetable growing area as i have to alter my garden and my hubby says that the ground has never been dug before where this new growing area will be so he needs a mattocks. Can anybody tell us where we buy such tools?

[Grovey]

I have one that I got from a guy called who is based in Westport. Check out his website at www.chillingtonhoes.com. They really are brilliant tools and you will never go back to Standard spades and shovels after trying them out.
All the best with your new veg patch, Conor.

[Foxylock]

Hi Grovey ,

I've seen them in the local co-op and I know they're also available on Amazon but I'm not sure what the shipping cost would be. I'm predicting the appearance of an advertisement on this thread shortly though !! Keep an eye out

[Macy]

I'd try the local co-op first, as by the time you add in postage, even if they were nominally more expensive it may work out cheaper.

Is the ground stoney? I've got one of the chillington hoes (the heavy one) mentioned (from the OOOBY Store in Glenealy, also available from the Organic Centre I think) and on the stoney patches I'm finding double digging easier with a fork. It's great on the previously cultivated stuff, but on the stoney stuff that's being cultivated for the first time it's a pain to keep sharp, and if it's not sharp it loses the effectiveness. I think there is a pointed version as well that I'm thinking about getting as an addition, as it is a lot easier on the back than "standard" digging.

[James Kilkelly]

Mattocks have the advantage of being heavier, and so cope better with heavier ground conditions where a spade or shovel might bend or flex.
Lighter tree roots can even be cleaved away with your mattock.
I suppose the one area where a shovel is better is where the dug material has to be loaded ie. from ground to trailer.

As promised by Foxylock, here is where you will find mattocks online mayo girl 64................... Mattock, grub hoe or grub axe on gardenseller.com
Please note that anything bought through the linked site goes towards the running costs of the Irish gardeners forum.

[mayo girl 64]

Why thank you all spoilt for choice i am.

I contacted the Chillington hoe site because it is local and we will be able to see them but everything looks ok. I went to my local farmers Co-op and they referred me to same people as they only do spades and forks.

Thank you again

[mayo girl 64]

Well we picked our tools up today and himself is well chuffed with them, says they will last for years.

You get the hang of them after a few minutes and yes Conor i think you are right the chillington hoes are a lot easier to use than spades, but i must tell you of a brilliant tool they have. It is the canterbury fork hoe which is amazing for raised beds as i used to have and soon will again i hope.

This tool (i bought one) is like a garden fork turned side ways on a long handle and for breaking up the soil in a raised bed you use it just like a rake but it goes much deeper so no digging at all and you can reach all of the raised beds without stretching or climbing on to them.

[Foxylock]

Well Mayo Girl anything that makes life easier will be a welcome addition to the tool shed. Now James where's that advert ?

[James Kilkelly]

Oh its there alright in my earlier post Foxylock

[Gautama]