Have you ever heard the word almocafre mentioned? This is a term that is used to refer to a tool that in its day, and still today, has very practical uses but is increasingly falling into disuse.
As you can see in the image, it is a hand tool, but … What exactly is it for? And, what maintenance do you have to give it?
What is an almocafre?
Image – Wikimedia Commons / Jose Carlos Serufo
It is a tool formed by a wooden handle, which can be short or long, and a metal blade. It is believed that it began to be manufactured in the XNUMXth century, since almocafres from that time have been found. At that time it was used to extract gold and diamonds, but today it has become a tool of agriculture.
For what do you use it?
Can be used for:
Remove herbs
Herbs are plants that grow very fast, so much so that they can end up causing problems for other plants that are part of the garden design. Therefore, it is important to control them, especially after the rains, be it summer or winter.
One way to do this is by removing them with a mopwhich will be very useful especially to remove those that are growing near the plants you like.
Dig small holes or trenches
Do you need a tool to plant small plants in the ground? The truth is that, although there are very adequate tools for this, almocafre is also used for this. And in fact, you could almost say that it is more practical than a hoe, which does not always have a blade of the right size, mainly because when buying one, it is not always made to make small holes or ditches, but some larger in size.
So if you have to make one, get yourself an almocaffre. You will see how good that hole or ditch looks on you.
Remove and aerate the soil
The almocaffre leaf serves both to remove the earth and to aerate it. Plants appreciate growing in light soils, through whose pores air can circulate. In fact, in those that are very compact it is difficult to find a species that develops under conditions.
For this reason, it is very important that if you have a land with a tendency to compact, you air it from time to time. In addition, if you are going to make a hole to plant, it is highly recommended that you air the earth that you extract with an almocaffre.
What is the maintenance of the almocafre?
The maintenance that must be given is actually quite simple. The only thing that has to be done is to ensure that the tool is clean, and protected from the sun and rain when it is not being used.. Therefore, it is advised to do the following:
- Remove the soil with water if you have it, and dry it.
- If you have been working on soils where there are or have been diseased plants, it is very important to clean the blade with soap and water. In this way, infections are prevented.
- Store it in a cool, dry place, protected from the sun. For example, a good place would be the garage.
Where to buy?
If you want to buy an almocafre, click here!. The price is around 15-20 euros.
