The Bionneur® – Ridge and Bed Tool, Hardox® Steel, Co-designed with Dominique Soltner

The Bionneur® was born from a collaboration between La Fabriculture and Dominique Soltner, agronomist and author of the Guide to Gardening and Market Gardening on Ridges. Observing that no existing tool could create and maintain ridges effectively without tillage or mechanisation, Dominique reinvented the Bionneur®.

Hard to classify: the Bionneur® sits somewhere between a garden fork and a rake. Its flat, sharp tines, precisely curved and spaced, penetrate the soil effortlessly and work the earth in depth without inverting it. Both ends are active — one for ridging and shaping, the other for refining and spreading. One tool for every stage, all year round.

The tines are made from Hardox® steel — a high wear-resistance steel used in heavy industry, extremely rare on garden tools. In practice: the tines stay sharp far longer than on a standard tool, even with intensive use on stony or compacted soils. The 140 cm handle ensures good ergonomics when working upright. Made at La Fabriculture, in Aveyron.

BENEFITS

✅ Co-designed with Dominique Soltner — agronomist specialising in no-till ridge gardening ;

✅ Hardox® steel — exceptional wear resistance, long-lasting sharp tines ;

✅ Two active ends — ridging, shaping, refining: one tool for everything ;

✅ Flat, sharp tines — easy penetration without inverting the soil ;

✅ Upright working — 140 cm handle, straight back, careful ergonomics ;

✅ No tillage, no engine — respects soil structure and soil life ;

✅ Versatile all year round — ridge creation, maintenance, weeding, shaping ;

✅ Made in Aveyron — artisanal French design and manufacture.

HOW TO USE

• Creating ridges from grassed ground: the sharp tines cut shallow roots and lift the soil to form the ridge ;
• Maintaining and shaping beds and ridges: refine the surface, reshape after rain, fill hollows ;
• Weeding between rows: the tool works at the surface without inverting the soil or destroying its structure ;
• Use the more curved end for deep ridging work, the straighter end for surface refining ;
• Work preferably on slightly moist soil for optimum penetration ;
• Compatible with the technique described in Dominique Soltner's guide — available on lafabriculture.fr.

MAINTENANCE

• Rinse the tines with clean water after use or brush with a suitable wire brush ;
• Allow to dry before storing ;
• Hardox® steel does not require frequent sharpening — the material's wear resistance naturally preserves the cutting edge ;
• Protect the wooden handle with linseed oil once or twice a year.

FAQ

What is ridge gardening and why is the Bionneur® suited to it?

Ridge gardening involves cultivating on permanent raised soil beds without ploughing or inverting the soil. This technique, popularised by Dominique Soltner, improves drainage, aeration and soil fertility. The Bionneur® was specifically designed to create and maintain these ridges by hand, standing up, without fatigue — where a standard fork or rake reaches its limits.

What is Hardox® steel and why is it used on the Bionneur®?

Hardox® steel is a high-hardness, high abrasion-resistance steel used in skips, excavator buckets and mining equipment. On garden tools, it is exceptional. In practice, the Bionneur® tines withstand wear far longer than standard steel tines — even with intensive use on stony or compacted soils.

How is the Bionneur® different from a fork or rake?

A fork lifts and turns the soil deeply — a form of tillage. A rake works the surface to level it. The Bionneur® does something different: its flat, curved tines penetrate and work the earth without inverting it, shaping and refining. It is a tool unlike any other, designed for bed and ridge cultivation, with no real equivalent on the market.

Can the Bionneur® be used without practising ridge gardening?

Yes. The Bionneur® is versatile: it can loosen and refine the surface of a standard market garden bed, weed between rows, lightly break up crusted soil or shape a raised vegetable plot. Its format and ergonomics make it pleasant to use for everyday gardening without ridges.

Is Dominique Soltner's guide available from La Fabriculture?

Yes. The Dominique Soltner booklet — a 28-page guide dedicated to ridge gardening techniques — is available on lafabriculture.fr. It details how to use the Bionneur® and the techniques for creating and maintaining ridges, season by season.