I'm looking for a long handled weeding fork somewhat like this:-

https://www.tooled-up.com/spear-and-jackson-elements-long-handled-weedfork/prod/162284

We use these for pulling ragwort out of our fields, a necessary chore
because we have horses on the fields and ragwort is poisonous.

A long fork like this is the best tool we've found so far (over 20
years of doing it!) and I've lost my favourite one just recently so
I'm looking for possible replacements.

It's quite a specific set of requirements:-

Have to have thin, flat prongs, otherwise it's quite impossible to
push into the ground much of the time (an ordinary round/square
prong garden fork simply won't go into the ground).

Need to have properly heat treated prongs, if not they just bend
when used for this sort of weeding. We have a couple of otherwise
Ok forks which 'just bend' and are thus little use. I don't know
how one tells which ones are properly hardened.

It would be really nice if I could find a fork like this with a
flat 'arm' for one's foot to push it into the ground with but I've
never seen one like this. They all seem to assume they'll be used
in relatively soft earth.

The 'clever' weed pulling devices don't work for pulling ragwort,
we've tried a few. Round prongs are generally too fat to push in and
often the design is such that they don't work on a weed with a
stiff, solid stalk like ragwort.

(Yes, I know that there are other ways to control ragwort, when we
first came here I sprayed with selective weedkiller and that was quite
successful with the major infestation we had then. It's now much more
under control and simply pulling the remaining ragwort is the most
sensible apppoach).

--
Chris Green
·

Chris Green wrote:
> I'm looking for a long handled weeding fork somewhat like this:-
>
> https://www.tooled-up.com/spear-and-jackson-elements-long-handled-weedfork/prod/162284
>
> We use these for pulling ragwort out of our fields, a necessary chore
> because we have horses on the fields and ragwort is poisonous.
>
> A long fork like this is the best tool we've found so far (over 20
> years of doing it!) and I've lost my favourite one just recently so
> I'm looking for possible replacements.
>
> It's quite a specific set of requirements:-
>
> Have to have thin, flat prongs, otherwise it's quite impossible to
> push into the ground much of the time (an ordinary round/square
> prong garden fork simply won't go into the ground).
>
> Need to have properly heat treated prongs, if not they just bend
> when used for this sort of weeding. We have a couple of otherwise
> Ok forks which 'just bend' and are thus little use. I don't know
> how one tells which ones are properly hardened.

The one you posted a link to is described as having a hardened carbon
steel head. So why not buy it?
>
> It would be really nice if I could find a fork like this with a
> flat 'arm' for one's foot to push it into the ground with but I've
> never seen one like this. They all seem to assume they'll be used
> in relatively soft earth.
>
> The 'clever' weed pulling devices don't work for pulling ragwort,
> we've tried a few. Round prongs are generally too fat to push in and
> often the design is such that they don't work on a weed with a
> stiff, solid stalk like ragwort.
>
>
> (Yes, I know that there are other ways to control ragwort, when we
> first came here I sprayed with selective weedkiller and that was quite
> successful with the major infestation we had then. It's now much more
> under control and simply pulling the remaining ragwort is the most
> sensible apppoach).
>

--
The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here
Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg

On 25/07/2021 10:07, Chris Green wrote:
> I'm looking for a long handled weeding fork somewhat like this:-
>
> https://www.tooled-up.com/spear-and-jackson-elements-long-handled-weedfork/prod/162284
>
> We use these for pulling ragwort out of our fields, a necessary chore
> because we have horses on the fields and ragwort is poisonous.
>
> A long fork like this is the best tool we've found so far (over 20
> years of doing it!) and I've lost my favourite one just recently so
> I'm looking for possible replacements.
>
> It's quite a specific set of requirements:-
>
> Have to have thin, flat prongs, otherwise it's quite impossible to
> push into the ground much of the time (an ordinary round/square
> prong garden fork simply won't go into the ground).
>
> Need to have properly heat treated prongs, if not they just bend
> when used for this sort of weeding. We have a couple of otherwise
> Ok forks which 'just bend' and are thus little use. I don't know
> how one tells which ones are properly hardened.
>
> It would be really nice if I could find a fork like this with a
> flat 'arm' for one's foot to push it into the ground with but I've
> never seen one like this. They all seem to assume they'll be used
> in relatively soft earth.
>
> The 'clever' weed pulling devices don't work for pulling ragwort,
> we've tried a few. Round prongs are generally too fat to push in and
> often the design is such that they don't work on a weed with a
> stiff, solid stalk like ragwort.

One that I think might work for you on ragwort although put on a long
handle it might be a bit dangerous if you don't have steel toe cap boots
on is a handtool dandelion remover (possibly scaled up slightly). It is
much sharper than a normal fork (dangerously so).

Basically it is a two pronged sharp pointed stainless steel thing on a
handle. Sharp enough to penetrate the harderst ground and stout enough
to survive being used to lever things out. Bounces off stones though.

It has a lump on the back that forms the fulcrum.

Looking for the dandelion one to show you I found this:
https://www.littlefieldsfarm.com/rag-fork-yellow

No idea if it is sufficiently well made to be useful though.

> (Yes, I know that there are other ways to control ragwort, when we
> first came here I sprayed with selective weedkiller and that was quite
> successful with the major infestation we had then. It's now much more
> under control and simply pulling the remaining ragwort is the most
> sensible apppoach).

For small numbers in grass I find a 12" screwdriver quite adequate.
(and a big screwdriver is useful for other things too)

That or spot weeding with a broadleaf herbicide every now and then.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

Peter <peterxpercival@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Chris Green wrote:
[snip]
> >
> > Need to have properly heat treated prongs, if not they just bend
> > when used for this sort of weeding. We have a couple of otherwise
> > Ok forks which 'just bend' and are thus little use. I don't know
> > how one tells which ones are properly hardened.
>
> The one you posted a link to is described as having a hardened carbon
> steel head. So why not buy it?

Because there's no knowing, without recommendations, whether it
*really* has stiff enough tines or not. The ones we have whose times
bend too easily are "hardened carbon steel" but you can bend the tines
with your fingers (so it's easy to straighten them when they bend but
after a few goes they break).

--
Chris Green
·

Martin Brown <'''newspam'''@nonad.co.uk> wrote:
[snip]

> > The 'clever' weed pulling devices don't work for pulling ragwort,
> > we've tried a few. Round prongs are generally too fat to push in and
> > often the design is such that they don't work on a weed with a
> > stiff, solid stalk like ragwort.
>
> One that I think might work for you on ragwort although put on a long
> handle it might be a bit dangerous if you don't have steel toe cap boots
> on is a handtool dandelion remover (possibly scaled up slightly). It is
> much sharper than a normal fork (dangerously so).
>
> Basically it is a two pronged sharp pointed stainless steel thing on a
> handle. Sharp enough to penetrate the harderst ground and stout enough
> to survive being used to lever things out. Bounces off stones though.
>
Yes, I've considered those, I might try one as I think it would work
well for the smaller plants.

Searching for "dandelion remover" on Google Shopping produces a lot of
the ones I know don't work. We have one of the Fiskars ones and it is
basically useless.

> It has a lump on the back that forms the fulcrum.
>
I assume you mean something like this:-
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333998574578

As I say I think it would work pretty well for smaller ragwort plants
but not for the larger ones. I remember my mother had one. :-)

Why so many of these tools advertise the fact that they're Stainless
Steel I really don't know, any tool you use reasonably frequently
doesn't need to be stainless and can be much more robust if made of
the right grade of non-stainless.

> Looking for the dandelion one to show you I found this:
> https://www.littlefieldsfarm.com/rag-fork-yellow
>
> No idea if it is sufficiently well made to be useful though.
>
Yes, I tried searching for 'ragwort fork' and came across this a while
ago. As you say it's difficult to judge how robust it is. The other
issue is that it has round tines and I don't think they're going to be
at all easy to push into our ground (at present it's dry, when it's
wet there's no problem).

It does have the foot 'pedal' I would love to find on a flat tined
fork though.

> > (Yes, I know that there are other ways to control ragwort, when we
> > first came here I sprayed with selective weedkiller and that was quite
> > successful with the major infestation we had then. It's now much more
> > under control and simply pulling the remaining ragwort is the most
> > sensible apppoach).
>
> For small numbers in grass I find a 12" screwdriver quite adequate.
> (and a big screwdriver is useful for other things too)

You'd need a hammer to push it in at present! It's not big and wide
enough for most of the things we're trying to pull out either. The
three flat pronged 'weeding forks' are just about the ideal size for
what we are pulling out, it would just be nice if they had a 'foot
pusher'.

>
> That or spot weeding with a broadleaf herbicide every now and then.
>
The trouble with that is that it leaves dead ragwort on the ground
which is just as poisonous and, worse, doesn't taste nasty so horses
will eat it whereas they avoid growing ragwort. As I said I have
sprayed in the past and for small patches have spot sprayed but you
need to either clear the dead plants or leave the land ungrazed for a
long time so they rot away completely.

--
Chris Green
·

On Sun, 25 Jul 2021 10:07:15 +0100, Chris Green wrote:

> I'm looking for a long handled weeding fork somewhat like this:-
>
> https://www.tooled-up.com/spear-and-jackson-elements-long-handled-
weedfork/prod/162284
>
> We use these for pulling ragwort out of our fields, a necessary chore
> because we have horses on the fields and ragwort is poisonous.
>
> A long fork like this is the best tool we've found so far (over 20 years
> of doing it!) and I've lost my favourite one just recently so I'm
> looking for possible replacements.
>
> It's quite a specific set of requirements:-
>
> Have to have thin, flat prongs, otherwise it's quite impossible to
> push into the ground much of the time (an ordinary round/square
> prong garden fork simply won't go into the ground).
>
> Need to have properly heat treated prongs, if not they just bend
> when used for this sort of weeding. We have a couple of otherwise
> Ok forks which 'just bend' and are thus little use. I don't know
> how one tells which ones are properly hardened.
>
> It would be really nice if I could find a fork like this with a flat
> 'arm' for one's foot to push it into the ground with but I've never
> seen one like this. They all seem to assume they'll be used in
> relatively soft earth.
>
> The 'clever' weed pulling devices don't work for pulling ragwort, we've
> tried a few. Round prongs are generally too fat to push in and often
> the design is such that they don't work on a weed with a stiff, solid
> stalk like ragwort.
>
>
> (Yes, I know that there are other ways to control ragwort, when we first
> came here I sprayed with selective weedkiller and that was quite
> successful with the major infestation we had then. It's now much more
> under control and simply pulling the remaining ragwort is the most
> sensible apppoach).

Do you have a local blacksmith?
Our local forge is very good at making "one offs" and not expensive.

Cheers

Dave R

--
AMD FX-6300 in GA-990X-Gaming SLI-CF running Windows 7 Pro x64

--
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On 26/07/2021 10:55, Chris Green wrote:
> Martin Brown <'''newspam'''@nonad.co.uk> wrote:
> [snip]
>

>> It has a lump on the back that forms the fulcrum.
>>
> I assume you mean something like this:-
> https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333998574578
>
> As I say I think it would work pretty well for smaller ragwort plants
> but not for the larger ones. I remember my mother had one. :-)

Yes. That's the basic idea. That one looks a bit thin to me. Mine is
considerably fatter material in the body but as sharp at the points.

> Why so many of these tools advertise the fact that they're Stainless
> Steel I really don't know, any tool you use reasonably frequently
> doesn't need to be stainless and can be much more robust if made of
> the right grade of non-stainless.

Occasional gardeners who like cosmetically perfect tools.
>
>
>> Looking for the dandelion one to show you I found this:
>> https://www.littlefieldsfarm.com/rag-fork-yellow
>>
>> No idea if it is sufficiently well made to be useful though.
>>
> Yes, I tried searching for 'ragwort fork' and came across this a while
> ago. As you say it's difficult to judge how robust it is. The other
> issue is that it has round tines and I don't think they're going to be
> at all easy to push into our ground (at present it's dry, when it's
> wet there's no problem).
>
> It does have the foot 'pedal' I would love to find on a flat tined
> fork though.

I thought it looked close enough to be worth a try. Even if it isn't
quite good enough you could take a broken one to a local blacksmith or
welding shop and have a thicker stronger one made to order (for a price).
>
>>> (Yes, I know that there are other ways to control ragwort, when we
>>> first came here I sprayed with selective weedkiller and that was quite
>>> successful with the major infestation we had then. It's now much more
>>> under control and simply pulling the remaining ragwort is the most
>>> sensible apppoach).
>>
>> For small numbers in grass I find a 12" screwdriver quite adequate.
>> (and a big screwdriver is useful for other things too)
>
> You'd need a hammer to push it in at present! It's not big and wide
> enough for most of the things we're trying to pull out either.

I find it perfect for dandelions in lawns. I can typically get 6-8" of
root out with one. Most satisfying.

>> That or spot weeding with a broadleaf herbicide every now and then.
>>
> The trouble with that is that it leaves dead ragwort on the ground
> which is just as poisonous and, worse, doesn't taste nasty so horses
> will eat it whereas they avoid growing ragwort. As I said I have
> sprayed in the past and for small patches have spot sprayed but you
> need to either clear the dead plants or leave the land ungrazed for a
> long time so they rot away completely.

Good point. I'd forgotten it was to protect livestock.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

David <wibble@btinternet.com> wrote:
[snip questions about ragwort fork(s)]
>
> Do you have a local blacksmith?
> Our local forge is very good at making "one offs" and not expensive.
>
I could probably add a 'foot pedal' to one myself, in which case all I
need is a good flat-bladed weed fork. So, recommendations please! :-)

--
Chris Green
·

On 25/07/2021 10:07, Chris Green wrote:
> I'm looking for a long handled weeding fork somewhat like this:-
>
> https://www.tooled-up.com/spear-and-jackson-elements-long-handled-weedfork/prod/162284
>
> We use these for pulling ragwort out of our fields, a necessary chore
> because we have horses on the fields and ragwort is poisonous.
>

Would a digging bar work?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chisel-Digging-Concrete-Wrecker-Wrecking/dp/B07SK9J83V/ref=dp_prsubs_1?pd_rd_i=B07SK9J83V&psc=1

There are variants (size and with handles)

--
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