Digging a garden by hand does take effort, but the process is very simple. Follow these easy steps to turn any piece of lawn into a perfectly-prepared garden, all ready to plant.
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Digging a garden by hand is one of those rewarding tasks that I’ve always felt takes just enough effort to leave me with a feeling of, “I’ve done something awesome today.”
It can definitely be a heavy chore, but digging a garden is simple, and straightforward. Over the years, I’ve dug many, many, many gardens by hand, and the method I’m sharing today is what I’ve found consistently works best for me.
Even though I own a classic Troy-Bilt rototiller (it’s a great little workhorse!), I still find myself digging gardens by hand. When a garden is especially close to other perennial plantings, or in a confined area, digging a garden by hand can be the best choice. If you don’t have a tiller, digging by hand might be your only option for getting a garden started.
Whether by need or by choice, hand-digging is not at all an inferior way to start a garden. It can be a great way to perfectly prepare a piece of earth for planting, and digging by hand offers a good chance to really get to know your soil. Don’t be daunted! Just dive in and go for it!
1. Mark out your garden site
You can be as precise or as artistic as you want here. Many of my gardens are not regular shapes. The one you’ll see in the photos here is actually part of a huge compass rose shaped flower garden I’m working on my front yard.
To mark the perimeter of your garden, I find it works well to use twine. I generally stake down the corners with landscape staples, but here you can see I’ve used heavy rocks to hold the line in place. Use what you have handy.
I recommend marking out the full perimeter of your garden, and then digging it in sections. If your garden is larger than about 50 square feet, it’s a good idea to break it down into sections that are about 6 or 7 feet square, and prepare them one at a time.
I find that I can fully dig and prepare a section about 7×7′ square in one hour. Fully preparing one section at a time breaks down a huge project into do-able bites. It also leaves you with a piece of ground that’s ready to plant, after every work session, rather than a huge half-dug garden that needs to be completed before you can start planting.
2. Remove the sod layer
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Start by spreading out a tarp if you have one. This will help keep dirt off your lawn, and will make it easier to move extra sod to another location where you might like to use it.
Using your garden spade, step right in and remove the top layer of sod. You’re not looking for deep, huge pieces. In fact, the sod chunks in the photo above are actually deeper than I recommend. Just dig as deeply as the thick mass of grass roots grows, taking the sod off in slabs if you can.
Remove the sod from the whole section you’re working on, before digging deeper.
3. Dig out the soil
Next, dig out the soil to a depth that’s about as half as deep a standard garden shovel – about 6-8 inches. It’s ok not to be precise.
I usually put the soil I remove in a wheelbarrow or garden cart. But piling the soil on a tarp works well too, and I’ve even used large plastic tubs in a pinch. When I was digging the garden in these photos, I used a big old washtub since my wheelbarrow was broken. Just use whatever you have handy!
4. Dig deeply, loosening the soil in the bottom layer
You’re not going to remove the dirt that’s in the bottom layer, but you do want to work it well, loosening it up and digging it thoroughly with the shovel. Fully work the soil until it feel loose and light.
In the process, remove any stone that you come across. If you live in New England like me, you may find that removing stones is the most time-consuming part of the whole process!
Chickens love getting in on the garden-digging fun. Mine wait for each spadeful of earth, wondering what I’m going to turn up next!
A real benefit of having chickens handy, is that if you run into any unpleasant bugs, or ant nests, the chickens can make quick work of them.
5. Add any amendments, along with removed soil
“Soil amendments” are just materials you work into the soil to improve the texture, mineral content, or nutrient levels in the soil. If you’ve had a soil test done, you may already have some guidance from your extension agent, about what to add to improve your soil. (If you haven’t had a soil test done, now is a great time to do it.)
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When in doubt, well-rotted organic compost is ALWAYS a good addition to a new garden.
My soil was quite heavy, so I chose to work in some organic peat moss. This gave me a finished soil that’s lighter and looser, so plants can more easily establish robust root systems.
If you’re adding anything to your soil, now is the best time to work it in. I like to spread half of it in an even layer across the garden section, and lightly work it into that bottom layer of soil.
Then return the top layer of soil to the garden, removing any stones and working in the remaining half of the soil amendments as you go.
Between digging deeply and loosening the soil, plus adding and peat, compost, or manure – your garden is probably just about level with the soil again. If you need some additional soil, you can shake the dirt from the roots of the sod that you removed, and add that as well. I prefer to use the sod in other areas on the homestead, and don’t shake the dirt from the roots, or return it to the garden I’m preparing.
6. Rake your finished garden smooth – it’s ready to plant!
You’ve successfully prepared a piece of earth to become your new garden. Now comes the fun part: planting!!
Have any lingering questions about digging a garden by hand? Go ahead and ask in the comments below. I’ll do my best to help!
Need ideas for your new garden? Here’s an authentic WWII Victory Garden plan that you can print!
For a printable cheat-sheet that you can carry in your pocket and easily refer to while out in the garden, just click “print” on the instruction card below.
Happy gardening!
Source: https://gardencourte.com
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