Before I saw the Maine Garden Hod on display at the New England Grows trade show a few years ago, I’d never heard the term “hod.” Now the garden hod is one of my most-used gardening tools.

What’s a Garden Hod?

Use the Maine Garden Hod to carry fruits, veggies, and just about anything else you can think of!

According to Wikipedia, a hod is a long-handled box for carrying bricks, mortar, coal, or clams. Pike’s Original Maine Garden Hod from Maine Garden Products is an adaptation of that concept, specifically designed to wash and carry harvested fruit and vegetables from the garden.

It’s a very simple design with wooden end panels, a curved handle, and a vinyl coated wire mesh basket.

Easy to Carry and Wash Fruit or Vegetables

The Maine Garden Hod is well-made with quality materials. Notice how the wire mesh basket is inserted into the wooden end panel.

I use my Hod each time I head into the garden to pick fruit or veggies. I simply drop the harvest into the basket, carry it to the nearest hose, and wash everything off before taking it inside. When it gets colder outdoors, I rinse the full basket under the kitchen faucet.

It doesn’t work as well for small, soft fruit (such as raspberries or strawberries) as they tend to get caught in the mesh or fall through the gaps. But for larger produce, especially veggies that tend to be dirt-covered (like carrots and potatoes), it’s perfect.

Two Sizes to Choose From

The Maine Garden Hod comes in two sizes – L’il (Small) and Original (Large).

• Small – 16″ L x 9″ W x 7″ H overall; basket is 5″ H
• Large – 19″ L x 11″ W x 11″ H overall; basket is 5-1/2″ H

Mine is the smaller one and it’s fine for smaller harvests or veggies. But if you grow corn, large tomatoes, long cucumbers, squash, or other bigger produce, or if you have a large vegetable garden or orchard, you’ll want the Original (Large) Hod.

Made With High Quality Materials

Three years of use and it’s still looking good.

After three years of frequent use, and being left outside from spring through fall, my Hod is weathered but shows no signs of wear. I was concerned that the wood might crack or warp, or that the wire mesh basket would rust. Neither of those things happened and the Hod is as solid today as when I bought it.

The mesh basket is covered in food-grade vinyl, meaning that it’s safe to use with edibles. The wood has a hand-rubbed oil finish to protect it from the elements.

Made in USA

Pike’s Original Maine Garden Hod is made in New England from three types of wood harvested in, you guessed it, Maine. The ends of the Hod are pine, the dowels that run along the top of the Hod are birch, and the handle is made of oak.

Recommendation

I give Pike’s Original Maine Garden Hod a 5-shovel rating. Harvested fruit and vegetables are easy to carry, it’s simple to wash your harvest with a garden hose or under the kitchen faucet, it stands up well to extended use, and it’s attractive enough to leave on the kitchen counter when it’s full.

Where To Buy

Pike’s Original Maine Garden Hod is available online from the Maine Garden Products website. It’s available in two sizes – L’il for $39.95 and Original for $44.95 – as well as with and without the company logo. There’s a flat rate shipping fee of $9.00 for one Garden Hod (either size), or $12.00 if you order two.

Gardener’s Supply carries the Garden Hod, Large as well as the Garden Hod, Small.

It’s also available on Amazon (shipping is $10.95) and through other online stores, such a Gardeners Edge.

And now over to you – What do you use to carry and/or wash fruit and veggies from your garden? Have you ever tried using a Hod? Let us know in the comments below.

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