Description
Overall width: 27″
Number of tines: 6
Space between tines: 4.4″
Tine depth: 10″
Overall weight: 14.2 pounds
Hand forged in BC, Canada
What is a broad fork?
The broad fork, or hand tiller, is a wonderful tool for breaking up hard pan, aerating soil, weeding and harvesting vegetables. This is an excellent choice for market gardeners, urban farmers or serious gardeners to work lots of soil quickly. Crafted with longevity in mind, all of the components are chosen specifically for their durability and quality.
Let the weight of the tool work for you, helping to drive it into the soil. Step on the bar to further push the tines into the ground, and pull the handles back to move the tines through the soil, and push veggies or weeds upward. There is a peacefulness to using this tool, in its simplicity, and the ability to quietly till your soil.
The hardwood ash handles for the broad fork are known for their strength. In the odd chance that one should break, the handles are easily replaced by shovel handles from any hardware store.
Clean and apply a light coat of tung oil or linseed oil at the end of each growing season before putting the tool into storage to keep the wood flexible and the steel free from rust.
Here’s a video we made on using a broad fork.
And another video that shows how to replace a handle.
Why use a broad fork?
Rototillers of all shapes and sizes till the soil to a maximum depth. Repeated tilling at the same depth, as is typical for spring and fall preparation, eventually creates a hard, almost concrete-like layer that prevents drainage and plant roots from penetrating deeper into the ground. The broad fork, with it’s long tines, pierces that hard layer and breaks it up, improving the quality of the soil. Like machine tilling, this needs to be done only once or twice a year to maintain excellent soil and growing conditions for your plants.
