Editing Broadfork (section)

{{Short description|Gardening tool}}
{{Redirect|U-bar|the letter|U bar}}
[[File:Fourche 4dents.jpg|thumb|A broadfork]]
[[File:Fourche 1.jpg|thumb|A broadfork being levered]]

The '''broadfork''', also called a '''U-fork''' or '''[[:fr:Grelinette|grelinette]]''', is a [[garden tool]] used to manually break up densely packed soil, including [[hardpan]], to improve [[aeration]] and [[drainage]].<ref Name="Smith">{{cite book
|title= The Vegetable Gardener's Bible
|last= Smith
|first= Edward C. Smith
|year= 2009
|publisher= Storey Publishing
|location=
|isbn= 978-1-60342-475-2
|page= 24
|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=50gH5vZ6FMQC&q=Broadfork&pg=PA24}}</ref> Broadforks are used as part of a no-till or reduced-till seedbed preparation process because they preserve the soil structure and avoid the resurfacing of weed seeds.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Johnny's Guide to Small-scale Bed Preparation Tools|url=https://www.johnnyseeds.com/growers-library/tools-supplies/small-scale-bed-preparation-tools-guide.html|access-date=2020-07-31|website=www.johnnyseeds.com}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Inventing the Broadfork {{!}} History from 1950 to Now |url=https://www.easydigging.com/broadforks/articles/invention-broadfork-history.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqRjUS2l4i-WUd4RFWojNNzkLDncbEtD4qpWVoKvpHlG63Nqdq5 |access-date=2025-01-05 |website=Easy Digging Tools |language=en}}</ref>

It consists of five or so metal [[tine (structural)|tine]]s, approximately eight inches long, spaced a few inches apart on a horizontal bar, with two handles extending upwards to chest or shoulder level that form a large U-shape.

The operator steps up on the crossbar, using full bodyweight to drive the tines into the ground, then steps backward while pulling backwards on the handles, causing the tines to lever upwards through the soil. This action leaves the soil layers intact, rather than inverting or mixing them, preserving the [[topsoil]] structure.

A broadfork can be used in a [[garden]], or practically for one to two [[acre]]s (4,000 to 8,000 m<sup>2</sup>). For larger areas, a [[tractor]]- or animal-powered [[chisel plow]] or similar tool is usually employed.<ref name=":0" />