Pulling weeds is tedious, tiring and will almost certainly cause back pain. With a special garden tool, the shuffle, you can remove the annoying weeds much more easily and, above all, faster. In this guide you will find out what a Schuffel is, how to use it correctly and what you should pay attention to when buying it.
What is a Schuffel and how is it used?
A shuffle is a garden tool with a long handle and a flat metal plate that is used for easy and quick removal of weeds from beds and gravelly, stony surfaces. It enables back-friendly work and only requires forward and backward movements.
- A shuffle is somewhat reminiscent of a hoe, but is used to easily and quickly remove weeds from beds as well as from gravelly and stony surfaces.
- Thanks to the long handle, you no longer need to bend down, and weeding is done by simply pulling the shovel back and forth. A specially designed sheet makes this possible.
- Scuffles are available in different shapes and leaf widths. This makes them suitable for use on beds and paths as well as for narrow and difficult-to-access garden areas.
- Scuffing is best done in dry weather. Then simply leave the weeds on the ground as mulch or collect them - as you wish.
What is a Schuffel?
On dry and sunny summer days, the Schuffel is exactly the right garden tool to quickly remove unwanted weeds from beds and paths. The Dutch Schuffel is not yet well known here, but is common among our Dutch neighbors and in the English-speaking world.
The tool usually consists of a long wooden handle - which should ideally reach up to your chest, then it will be the right length - and a flat metal plate. In addition to the handle shovels, there are also so-called hand shovels, which only have a short handle. The Schuffel is sometimes also called a Stieger.
Types of Schuffeln – The right Schuffel for every area of application
There are different types of Schuffeln, which differ from each other primarily in the shape and size of the metal leaf. As a rule, these devices have a rectangular or diamond-shaped blade, which is usually made of stainless steel. Depending on the manufacturer and intended use, both the handles are available in different lengths - to suit the user's height - and the metal leaves in different leaf widths. Basically, you should choose wider shuffles for larger areas, while the smaller and narrower shapes are well suited for smaller or harder-to-reach areas.
In addition to the leaf width and stem length, Schuffels also differ in the shape of their leaves:
| Leaf shape | Features | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|---|
| rectangular, diamond-shaped | in different sizes and widths, with rounded or straight edges | Easy to use, weeds are removed quickly and easily, back-friendly work on larger, loosely planted areas (beds, paths) | not suitable for closely planted or angular garden areas |
| heart-shaped | heart-shaped, tapered and smaller metal plate | well suited for areas with close planting as well as for corners, back-friendly work | Not suitable for larger areas as processing them takes a long time |
| round (garden disc) | circular, small metal leaf | very flexible, working in all directions as well as in narrow and difficult-to-access garden areas is possible, can also be pushed sideways | not suitable for larger areas, expensive to purchase |
Advantages and disadvantages
The duster allows weed removal to be gentle on your back
Are you unsure whether a shovel is the right garden tool for you? First of all, it should be said that this tool is particularly useful on larger, loosely planted bed areas and paths - namely where rampant weeds such as nettles, chickweed, etc. find the best growing conditions and have to be removed regularly anyway. Otherwise, the table below shows you the most important advantages and disadvantages of this garden tool.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| upright and back-friendly working posture | only helpful in dry soil, but weeding still needs to be done in wet summers |
| easy removal of weeds, it is simply “cut off” | hardly effective against root weeds, as their roots remain in the ground and sprout again |
| cut weeds can remain in the bed or be raked out | regular (at least weekly) use necessary |
| superficial loosening of the soil | depending on the manufacturer and brand quite expensive to purchase |
| Destruction of the cavities in the soil, so more water is available to the plants |
Shovel correctly – How to use a shovel correctly
Using the Schuffel takes some practice at the beginning. However, once you get the hang of it, weed removal practically happens by itself. Here's how it works:
- Push the metal plate just below the dry surface of the soil.
- Now move them back and forth slowly.
- Cut the roots of the weeds just below the surface.
- Then let the weeds dry out in the sun.
- Collect or rake away the weeds.
In this way, weed removal works very quickly: for a kitchen garden of around 400 square meters, you need less than an hour for this work. You can see how to use it correctly in this video:
Ich schuffel mein Unkraut weg wer noch ? Unkraut mit der Schuffel leicht entfernen
However, a Schuffel cannot be used in every case. For example, if the weeds grow very close to the garden plants - especially perennials, vegetable plants or woody plants - you still have to remove them by hand, otherwise you will accidentally damage the plants.
Areas of application
Shovels are primarily intended for cleaning larger, open areas such as fallow or loosely planted beds and paths (including paths paved with stones or gravel) of weeds. This work should be carried out about once a week in dry weather. However, if it is rainy, you should either shovel more often or remove the weeds by hand. The metal blade does not slide easily in moist soil.
Excursus
Won't the shuffle become dull on stone or gravel?
Shovels are the perfect tool for clearing weeds from gravel and stone paths. If you have chosen a product made of hardened, high-quality steel plates, the application works very well - especially since a shovel does not have to be particularly sharp. In addition, the device can be sharpened again and again if necessary.
Buy Schuffeln – providers, prices and important purchasing criteria
Buying a Schuffel is worth it
“Investing in high-quality garden tools is worth it – it makes gardening less tedious and more fun!”
You can buy Schuffeln both in stationary stores - for example in your trusted gardening store - and in various online shops. These devices are available from a wide variety of suppliers, from large online department stores (e.g. Amazon or eBay) to online shops at gardening and hardware stores (Obi, Toom, etc.) and in specialist shops themselves. The selection is particularly large for shuffles with rectangular or straight blades, with renowned brands such as Gardena (€13.00 at Amazon), Wolf or Tom-Garten naturally being ahead with their own products.
How much does a Schuffel cost?
There are big differences between the different manufacturers and brands, both in terms of price and quality. Schuffeln are available for purchase prices ranging from just around five euros to more than 70 euros. What particularly stands out here is the Sneeboer Schuffel, which is significantly more expensive than the competition.
Basically, we advise you to invest a little more in good quality and high-quality materials - the easier it will be to work with the device and the more satisfied you will ultimately be with the result. Shovels that are very cheaply priced often have the problem that they quickly become dull or the material is brittle - they only have a short lifespan and therefore have to be repurchased more often.
Excursus
What is special about a Sneeboer Schuffel? Wouldn't a cheaper model also work?
The expensive Sneeboer Schuffel is entirely handmade, forged and welded from high-quality stainless steel in the Dutch tool forge of the same name. This is also the big difference to conventional garden shovels, which are often manufactured industrially and are simply rolled or punched. Another difference between the Sneerboer and other Schuffeln lies in the nature of the leaf: The Sneerboer leaf does not have a straight edge, but a serrated edge.
Frequently asked questions
What alternatives to Schuffel are there? Which garden tools make weeding easier?
Bow weeders can also remove stubborn weeds
If you want to make it easy to remove weeds, you can use a pendulum hoe or an iron weeder in addition to a shovel. Both can be used in a standing, back-friendly position and work in a very similar way to the shuffle. The advantage of the iron weeder is that it also removes stubborn, woody weeds and can also be used very well on heavy, compacted soils.
How do I clean my Schuffel properly? And above all, with what?
So that garden tools last a long time and do not rust prematurely, occasional care is necessary. Like spades etc., a shuffle is best cleaned with clear water and a brush, which should be done at the latest after each gardening season. Otherwise, the shuffle should be thoroughly freed of soil after each use.
How do you sharpen a shuffle correctly?
Newly purchased shuffles do not need to be sharpened, they are already ready for use. Only after a while, cheaper models in particular become dull and no longer achieve such good results. In such a case, you can sharpen the blade with a sharpening stone (available at hardware stores, for example). Make sure to only sand out the resulting unevenness. But be careful: not every material can be easily sharpened! Therefore, ensure that the device does not lose its sharpness by carefully caring for it and occasionally removing rust from the blade.
Tip
If you mulch beds - especially closely planted ones - or plant ground cover, you have to remove fewer weeds.
