• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Carol J. Michel

Award winner author of gardening humor books

  • About
    • Contact
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Shop
    • Gardening Humor
    • Children’s Books
    • New – The Halloween Hare
  • Social
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
  • The Gardenangelists Podcast
  • Gardening Humor
  • Children’s
  • All Books

May Dreams Gardens

This Is Why I Have A Grub Hoe

May 13, 2008 By Carol Michel 11 Comments

This double columbine is a lovely flower growing in the wrong place. It’s a lost seedling, far away from its parent plants which are clear across the yard in another flower bed.

It is just one of my blooms that I’ll be showing on my blog for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day on the 15th of this month. Remember bloom day? The day to post on your blog about what is blooming in your garden, so that we can compare and contrast what is blooming in our gardens on the same day.

And it’s easy to participate. Just post about your blooms on the 15th of the month and then leave a comment on my bloom day post so we can find you.

*****

The reason this columbine is in the wrong place is because it is right in the middle of a low thicket of Forsythia x intermedia ‘Arnold Dwarf’.

I hacked this forsythia back to the ground last fall, fully intending to also pull it out, but time got away from me, it got cold and I left it for another day.

This spring, this bed was still full of this forsythia.

No winter miracle occurred to kill this plant. In fact, hacking it back last fall seemed to have increased its resolve to live.

So I took matters into my own hands today. With the help of a grub hoe and one of those heavy duty hand tools that has a forked end and a straight end, I hacked back that forsythia, pried out as many roots as I could and reclaimed that bed for better plants.

Here you can see the grub hoe and the hand tool in the cleared out bed, resting from their labors.
The grub hoe isn’t a tool I use every day or even every year, but it sure comes in handy when I have some hard grubbing to do, like today. There is no way I could have cleared this bed on my own without the grub hoe.

I can raise this hoe up over my head and then slam it down beside a clump of roots. Then I pull back and forth on the handle, lever style, to work the hoe head under the roots and pry them out. I’m not that strong, but fortunately, the grub hoe is heavy duty and can do a lot of the work for me.

*****

Though I am pretty certain that the forysthia isn’t going to grow back from what roots are left in this bed, I’m going to wait until fall before I plant anything “permanent” here.

For now, I’ll run a cultivator through this bed, smooth it out, add some compost and then sow some zinnia seeds. They’ll be pretty this summer and should any forsythia roots send up a shoot or two, I can easily take care of them. Then in the fall, I can remove the zinnias and plant something new here.

*****

I did learn a lesson, again, from this mess. I learned that not all forsythia are “nice shrubs” and that plant tags often have hidden messages on them.

Let me share the description on the tag, which I still have after ten years.

“Early-flowering deciduous shrub with bright yellow flowers appearing in spring before leaves emerge. Very compact growth habit. Medium green leaves appear after blooms. Use as a hedge or in mass plantings.”

The last sentence should have tipped me off. Hedge? Mass Planting? Now I know this means ‘suckers all over the place’. Oh, and the bright yellow flowers? This forsythia hardly flowered at all.

Read plant tags carefully for these ‘hidden messages’! And if you still aren’t sure about a plant after reading the label, look up the variety on the Internet to get more information. It will save you in the long run from being disappointed and from having a lot of work to do to remove the plant when it isn’t what you thought it would be.

*****

Bye, bye ‘Arnold Dwarf’, take your tag and don’t come back. I have two better forsythia to enjoy, ‘Gold Tide’ and ‘Show Off’, so I don’t need your kind, ‘Dwarf Arnold’ who barely bloomed in the ten years you were here.

*****

We should compile a list of ‘mis-leading’ plant descriptions and key words used on plant tags that seem like good things but are really bad things. Then we can publish the list on the Internet to warn all gardeners. Anyone like to contribute a favorite? Let’s see, there’s ‘prolific’, ‘spreads’, ‘good for mass plantings’…

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: hoes, shrubs

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    May 13, 2008 at 5:20 am

    This fall, I need to be strong and ‘take care of’ some areas like you took care of your Arnold Dwarf Forsythia. I have no problem at all killing plants out of neglect…but yanking them out…it just hurts. It’s so judgmental. I know, I’m a loon. I’ll get over it.

    And you’ve been tagged.

    Reply
  2. Whyite says

    May 13, 2008 at 10:46 am

    I uaed to use a mattock for things like this, but the grub hoe seems better balanced. This only reminds me of things I need to get done in my area.

    Reply
  3. Frances, says

    May 13, 2008 at 11:49 am

    Hi Carol, HA to your message to Arnold f. He sounded good though on the tag, low growing and compact, perfect for a forsythia. Thanks for the heads up on his real personality. I like the thought of you raising that grub hoe over your head and bringing it down with a thunk. A good way to let those negative thoughts escape, better that yoga!

    Frances at Faire Garden

    Reply
  4. garden girl says

    May 13, 2008 at 12:26 pm

    Carol, I usually avoid anything that’s tagged ‘vigorous,’ or ‘self-seeds freely.’

    Reply
  5. Gail says

    May 13, 2008 at 2:32 pm

    Carol,

    What is left off the tag for Forsythia is this truth; “Forsythias’ draping branches will touch the ground and in a blink root tip causing this shrub to increase its width by tenfold within moments!”

    Gail

    Reply
  6. Anonymous says

    May 13, 2008 at 2:36 pm

    Now that is another good idea! Aristolochia is running rampant as is Humulus (hops). Wish I could take those back! I just keep them hacked back. Who knows, I might want to make beer someday. Thanks for the Bloom Day reminder. I almost forgot!

    Reply
  7. Anonymous says

    May 13, 2008 at 3:11 pm

    I’d say that giving a plant 10 years to produce before attacking it with the Grub Hoe was very fair of you. I don’t know if I would have waited that long.

    Reply
  8. tina says

    May 13, 2008 at 8:27 pm

    I’ll add ‘vigorous’.

    Reply
  9. Sherry at the Zoo says

    May 13, 2008 at 10:40 pm

    I always, always feel guilty cutting down, hacking out or destroying any living plant – even weeds. Next time you’re over, I have a plant that I would like to see go bye-bye. Would you do the dirty work for me? Pretty please?
    I’ll just wait inside and pretend I don’t know what’s going on out there in the yard – LOL!

    Your little sister.

    Reply
  10. Anonymous says

    May 14, 2008 at 12:56 am

    My rule of thumb is that if a friend offers to share divisions of a plant it is most likely to fall into that “vigorous” category. On the other hand, if I must fall to my knees and beg for it, it’s a safer bet. Of course, if I see a plant in its one minute of fleeting glory, no amount of warning-off will deter me.
    Borage and Nigella are the two self seeders that have plagued me of late.

    Reply
  11. Yolanda Elizabet Heuzen says

    May 14, 2008 at 7:26 am

    Good riddance to bad rubbish; bye bye Arnold Dwarf I’m sure glad I never knew you!

    I like your idea of that list, a kinda gardener beware thingy.

    BTW we’re having the pick axe out at the mo at Bliss, will show pics of that later. A grub hoe would not have done the trick.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Updates from Carol Michel

* indicates required
Email Preferences

Categories

  • Blog (3,053)
  • Internal (2)

Blog Tags

annuals Blogging books bulbs dr. hortfreud embrace fairies fall family flowers fruits garden bloggers bloom day garden bloggers book club garden design gardeners gardening gardening geek gardens hoes holidays hortense hoelove houseplants humor indoor gardening insects lawn letters to gardening friends perennials rabbits reviews Secrets seeds shrubs spring tools trees vegetable garden vegetable gardening vegetables weather weeding weeds when a gardener wildflower wednesday winter

The Gardenangelists Podcast with Dee Nash

Gardenangelists Podcast

Footer

Gardenangelists Podcast with Dee Nash

Gardenangelists Podcast

Connect

  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • maydreams icon

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Contact
  • Books
  • May Dreams Gardens
  • Podcast

Updates from Carol Michel

* indicates required
Email Preferences

Newsletter Archive

Copyright © 2023 · CarolJMichel.com · Sitemap · Privacy Policy

Book purchase links are affiliate links and Carol earns a small commission if you make a purchase.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT