Shuffling weeds instead of weeding - this is how you simplify gardening

How to remove weeds with a Dutch shuffle

the essentials in brief

A shuffle is somewhat reminiscent of a hoe, but is used for the easy and quick removal of weeds from beds and on gravel and stony surfaces.
Thanks to the long handle, you no longer need to bend down, and weeding is done by simply moving the shuffle forwards and backwards. A specially designed sheet makes it possible.
Shuffles are available in various shapes and blade widths. They are suitable for use on beds and paths as well as for narrow and difficult-to-access garden areas.
The best time to shuffle is in dry weather. Then simply leave the weeds on the ground as mulch (€ 99.99 on Amazon *) or collect them - as you wish.

What is a shuffle?

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 too well known in Germany, but it is common among our Dutch neighbors and in the English-speaking world.

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The tool usually consists of a long wooden handle - which should ideally reach your chest, then it is the right length - and a flat metal plate. In addition to the handle shuffles, there are also so-called hand shuffles, which only have a short handle. The Schuffel is sometimes referred to as the Stieger.

Types of shuffle - the right shuffle for every application

There are different types of shuffle, which differ from one another mainly in the shape and size of the metal blade. As a rule, these devices have a rectangular or diamond-shaped blade, which is mostly made of stainless steel. Depending on the manufacturer and intended use, the handles are available in different lengths - to match the height of the user - and the metal blades in different blade 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 the stem length, shuffles also differ in the shape of their leaves:

Three types of shuffle: rectangular, heart-shaped and round shuffle

Leaf shape	features	advantages	disadvantage
rectangular, diamond-shaped	in different sizes and widths, with rounded or straight edges	easy handling, weeds are removed quickly and easily, back-friendly work on larger, loosely planted areas (beds, paths)	not suitable for tightly planted or angular garden areas
heart-shaped	heart-shaped, tapering 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 these take a long time to process
round (garden disc)	circular, small metal sheet	very flexible, work 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 buy

Advantages and disadvantages

Are you unsure whether a Schuffel is the right garden tool for you? First of all, it should be said that this tool is especially useful on larger, loosely planted bedding areas and paths - namely where proliferating weeds such as nettles, chickweed etc. find the best growth 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	disadvantage
upright and back-friendly working posture	only helpful in dry soil, weeding is still necessary in damp 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
Weeds that have been cut off 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 buy
Destroying the cavities in the soil, the plants have more water available

Shuffle properly - How to use a shuffle correctly

Using the shuffle takes some practice at the beginning. However, once you get the hang of it, weeding practically works by itself. Here's how it works:

Slide the metal plate just below the dry surface of the earth.
Now move them slowly back and forth.
Cut through the roots of the weeds just below the surface.
Then let the weeds dry out in the sun.
Gather or rake away the weeds.

In this way, weeding works very quickly: For a kitchen garden of around 400 square meters, this work takes less than an hour. You can see how to use it correctly in this video:

Youtube

However, a shuffle cannot be used in every case. For example, if the weeds grow very close to the garden plants - especially shrubs, vegetables or woody plants - you still have to remove them by hand, otherwise you will inadvertently damage the plants.

Areas of application

Shuffles are primarily intended to clear larger, open areas such as fallow or only loosely planted beds and paths (including paths paved with stones or gravel) of weeds. This work should be done about once a week in dry weather. If it is rainy, however, you should either shuffle more often or remove the weeds by hand. The metal sheet does not slide easily in damp soil.

Digression

Doesn't the shuffle dull on stone or gravel?

Shuffles are the perfect tool for removing weeds from gravel and stone paths. If you have chosen a product made from hardened and high-quality steel plates, the application works very well - especially since a shuffle does not have to be particularly sharp. The device can also be re-sharpened whenever necessary.

Buy shuffles - providers, prices and important purchase criteria

"Investing in high-quality garden tools is worthwhile - gardening is less tedious and more fun!"

You can buy shuffles in brick-and-mortar stores - for example, in your trusted gardening shop - as well as in various online shops. From large internet department stores (such as Amazon or eBay) to online shops in gardening and hardware stores (Obi, Toom, etc.) to the specialist stores themselves, these devices are available from a wide variety of providers. There is a particularly large selection of shuffles with rectangular or straight blades, with well-known brands such as Gardena, Wolf or Tom-Garten, of course, having the edge with their own products.

What does a Schuffel cost?

There are big differences between the various manufacturers and brands, both in terms of price and quality. Shuffles are available for purchase prices from just about five to more than 70 EUR. The Sneeboer Schuffel particularly stands out here, as it is significantly more expensive than the competition.

Basically, we advise you to invest a little more in good quality and high-quality materials - the better you can work with the device and the more satisfied you will be with the result. Shuffles that are very inexpensive in terms of price often have the problem that they quickly become blunt or the material is brittle - they only have a short lifespan and therefore have to be bought more often.

Digression

What is special about a Sneeboer Schuffel? Doesn't a cheaper model also do it?

The expensive Sneeboer Schuffel is purely handcrafted, forged and welded from high quality stainless steel in the Dutch tool forge of the same name. This is the big difference to conventional garden shuffles, which are often industrially manufactured and only rolled or punched. Another difference between the Sneerboer and other shuffles lies in the nature of the blade: The Sneerboer blade does not have a straight, but a serrated edge.

frequently asked Questions

What alternatives to the Schuffel are there? Which garden tools make weeding easier?

If you want to make removing the weeds easy, you can use a pendulum hoe or iron weeder in addition to a shuffle. Both can be used in a standing, back-friendly position and work very similar to the shuffle. The advantage of the iron weeder is that it also removes stubborn, woody weeds and is also very suitable for use on heavy, solidified soils.

How do I clean my shuffle correctly? And above all, with what?

Occasional maintenance measures are necessary to ensure that garden tools last a long time and do not rust prematurely. Like spades and the like, 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 cleared 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 become dull and no longer achieve such good results. In such a case, you can re-sharpen the blade with a whetstone (available from hardware stores, for example). Make sure you only grind out the bumps that have arisen. But be careful: not every material can simply be resharpened without further ado! You should therefore ensure that the device does not lose its sharpness with careful care and the occasional de-rusting of the leaf.