I had a forester tell me to use a Hoe Dag in lieu of my dibble bar for planting longer rooted seedlings- anyone utilize this technique? Is it more efficient- there also seems to be a lot of choices.

Never heard of them

They want you to dig a wider hole so you don't bend the roots up and get J roots. Unless the professionals do it with a planter, in that case they cut the roots off and stick them in.

Probably promotes root growth

here and I thought a Hoe Dag was just a good time and a music and a mythical creature

I guess they spell that HoDag

Never seen one either.

I'm fairly efficient with a dibble bar but he made it sound like I was killing myself with that method- I'm not convinced that swinging a pickaxe helps my back any at days end.

when you look at the hoe dag vs the Dibble bar. the hoe dag is really just a Dibble bar you swing

probably works better in looser soil

like most logging/forestry tools they changed some by region

like a Cant and a Pivey

or the many types of ax heads

Looks like a horizontal drain spade to me.

I see it listed on sites as Hoedad also
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1gPVuITMgc

Hot Diggity! A new toy.

not far off how I use my GI trenching tool to plant things in the garden some times

the video definitely looks like loose sand , you wouldn't get away with that in clay country

Right up there with pulling a sharp axe out of wet basswood

I've heard of them but dibble bars rule in the south. My understanding is hoedads are better in hilly terrain.

Not familiar with these hoes. But they look interesting.

Have used both plus a mattock. Prefer the dibble.

That ain't no hoe. My cousin was a hoe and she ditn't look NUTTIN like dat!

New lingo - call someone a '304'

Punch 304 into a calculator , then flip it upside down. What does it spell?

I have used one quite a bit and I prefer them over a spade. That said, they are also a lot more work than a spade but once you get in your groove they are also faster in the right soil conditions.