For hoeing we use a three pointed fork hoe rather than a Dutch hoe. The reason for this is that it is easier to turn the soil over and less likely to damage plants or bulbs etc. We use the fork hoe by holding it with a firm grip and then pushing it into the soil and twisting it so the soil turns over.
When weeding it is important to dig the roots out. For shallow weeds such as bittercress, daisies and young grass we can use the hoe. When digging out thistles, nettles and brambles we use a spade.
When maintaining gardens weekly, we find that because the soil is turned over every week the weeds do not have chance to grow or take hold. For gardens that we maintain 3 weekly or monthly we usually have to spend longer weeding and hoeing.