Hoeing a good border technique

Hoeing is an effective means by which to keep on top of weeds in garden borders, it has been asserted.

Industry commentator Carolyn Spray makes her comments in the online pages of the Sunday Mail, suggesting that once the areas are clear, maintenance is both quick and easy.

She suggests that horticultural enthusiasts pick a dry and sunny day with a good breeze to undertake their hoeing, explaining that it is "pointless" to do it during damp weather.

This is due to the fact that severed weeds will extend their roots back into the moist soil and re-grow, while in more arid conditions they can be left on the surface after being sliced below the soil and left to die.

Meanwhile, the BBC suggests that gardeners hoe general purpose fertiliser into the surface of soil to improve its richness, adding that it should be watered in before covering with a mulch of garden compost.