In a strange way, I chose a broadfork. I wanted to root pink pussywillow cuttings for a couple of years and then plant them in a more natural, permanent location. I had some surplus colchicums that I was sure I could use, but not immediately.

What I really needed was a crib.

It was an overgrown area of a vegetable garden that had been abandoned. Oh, the weeds are so bad! Some dock and goldenrod are taller than I am! The weeds were so overwhelming that I delayed clearing the space for my pussy baby willows. I had a lot of gardening tasks on my list, so it was easy for me to put it off.

How will I clear this bed of debris?

In the olden days, the best solution was to rent a Rototiller, chop the weeds up and then rake them away. This didn’t appeal for me because of several reasons. I can’t handle that type of equipment. I would have to hire someone to bring the tiller to the rental shop and do the job for me.

Experts have also been saying for a long time-and gardeners finally are starting to listen-that soil is alive and full of microscopic creatures, including mycorhizzae. The less we disturb this environment, the better for the plants that we want to grow. Entire books have been written about the topic.

Rototilling is only a temporary fix due to the nature of weeds that are growing in the area. Goldenrod can resprout from pieces of the root left in the soil (pictures , here). Dock sends its roots as far down as China, or at least further than the tines of a rototiller can reach. It will also resprout from a large chunk of root left in the ground (pictures are available here). Who am I kidding, really? There will always be some pieces of roots left over, no matter how you remove them. But I think that a rototiller leaves a lot more.

Can a broadfork handle the job?

It’s hard to say what inspired me to use a broadfork for this task. I usually use a garden fork to loosen goldenrod or dock plants. Then, after the soil has been thoroughly moistened by a recent rainfall, I pull the plants out. This was a large area, so I would need a very large fork. . . oh! What is a broadfork?

I knew very little about broadforks. I assumed they were used to fluff up a raised bed that had been well-tended without disturbing soil organisms, at the start of the growing season. Can they remove entrenched weeds and twigs? Noel Valdez, Cobrahead, and Greg Baka, Easy Digger Tools were my experts. Noel Valdez assured me that the tool is effective in areas with weeds and grasses that have been present for a long time. Greg Baka agreed: “A broadfork will be quicker and easier to use than a traditional garden fork for uprooting docks and goldenrod.”

Alrighty, then! Easy Digging Tools ended up being the place I bought my broadfork. They sell a all metal broadfork by Meadow Creature. It is heavier than one sold by Cobrahead, but I thought it would be more durable. I have several family members that are stronger than I am and who will use brute force when necessary. I assumed they would eventually use the tool themselves.

I finally got rid of those weeds

Unfortunately, I was not able to start my project as quickly as I had hoped. Mid-November was too close to winter. We had snow (which melted), between the time I started and finished. I had grand plans of clearing the raised bed, but it turned out to be “clear enough to plant the pussywillows and call it a day.”

The soil was moist, and I found it easy to insert the broadfork’s tines the entire length. I did two passes of the area. The second pass was made at a right angle to the first. I then got on my hands and knees, and snipped up the majority of weeds. Dock and goldenrod needed a bit more attention. The dock and goldenrod needed a little more attention.

The dock weeds that were the biggest I pulled up with my hands after placing a board over the loose soil. One dock weed didn’t come out and I could have probably spent more time loosening the soil with the broadfork but I was impatient so I used my root Slayer shovel. The blade of the Root Slayer shovel is longer than the tines of the broadfork, but it still did not get the entire root.

The stone at the bottom of this photo was found by me while I was planting willows. The broadfork hit it repeatedly but could not bring it out because it was vertical and kept sliding through the tines of the broadfork. But I think that was an exception. It brought up many other rocks.

Broadforks can be used for other purposes

The brochure that came with the Meadow Creature Broadfork recommended several other uses. One of the things it does is make root crops easier to harvest. It was also suggested that it be used to lift plants for transplanting or division. I had a huge hellebore I was trying to split with a spade this spring and I couldn’t get it to work. Next year, I will use the broadfork and my Root Knife to cut the entire thing. It can also be used for plants you don’t intend to replant, such as invasive plants and small dead shrubs.

The EasyDigging.com site says that only a Meadow Creature widefork is strong enough to remove the sod. In the past, we have used a Mattock for this. The strong family members are “we”. I think the broadfork would be more effective. I have done small areas in the past with a gardenfork.

Does it suit you?

It’s obvious from its size that broadforks are better suited for large properties. It’s not just a one-purpose tool. If you have a large property and grow vegetables in raised bed, this is a tool you should consider, especially as we approach the holiday gift-giving season. I’m sure I have some big plans for my own.