I never heard the term before, went online and recognized the tool, but have personally never used one. I watched a Youtube and it appears maybe it is better intended for seeds and seedlings?

A dibber (or dibble) can be used in the vegetable plot for speeding up planting large numbers of things like large seeds or leek seedlings, where you need a deepish hole that has no need to be filled in. My grandfather and father made theirs from old spade handles. I've never bothered with one. I just use a trowel.

Dibbers are great when using them in friable soil - in fact, I only really use very small dibbers (pencil size) for pricking out seedlings into a loose potting mix. Using a dibber in soil which is not already tilled will probably compact the soil...and, as you mention, mxk3, can leave an air pocket at the base of the hole unless you then add in a bit of loose soil. Oh yeah, I also use a dibber for planting carrots (in deep, loose, sandy soil) and transplanting leeks. Mostly, I use a hori-hori or thin transplanting trowel...or a long-handled bulb planter when planting more than 20 or so.

It is fair to say I have never bought a dibber, of any size, in my life. I have razor sharp draw knives and a shavehorse.

At The time that I made my "dibber," my hori-hori knife had finally bit the bullet due to me leaving it outdoors to rot too many times. I had taped the halves together but the rot continued and finally when I found it, it broke apart in my hands. It had been 15 years.

I just read about using the dibber for leeks, which I will do next season. Also probably good for planting seeds like beans and such. I don't know about the bulbs, though...maybe I'm using it wrong or maybe I just need to practice with it to get the hang of it. I do have friable soil - it is a joy to work.

I use a sort of Multi-dibber for planting leeks and other onion family plants. I imagine it would be fine for beans, carrots, etc as well. It wouldn't be difficult to make it you have a few woodworking skills; DH designed and made mine. It has 4" spacing and was made to be 2" less in width than the raised beds it was made for. That way, by alternating sides the tool was set against, the rows are evenly staggered. You can buy ready-made 1" diameter dowels, which were cut, sharpened, and set into the tool's backbone. I use the tool to evenly space the rows as well. Since I plant several hundred onion family plants annually, this makes it much easier and quicker. After dropping the plants in the holes, I water the beds well, and the soil is friable enough to fill in around the plants.

wow that is some nifty tool, and must be quite a veggie garden

DH can probably make me something like your tool, NHBabs - you had a great idea, there! Would be quick to plop in seeds.

you could have a silver tip made for it .. grab some garlic.. and go out and hunt some of those suburban vampires ...

you would have to have some prime friable soil for that last pictured gizmo.... loose and fluffy ....

ken