Double Digging
Digging. An unfortunate side affect most of us suffer from when we decide to grow our own vegetables.
What is double digging?
Double digging involves you digging up your patch to a depth of about 10-12 inches. The bad news is tha t this is usually pretty hard work so it helps if you can rope a couple of friends in to shoulder the burden. The good news is that you'll only need to do this again if you have really bad quality soil. Even then it will be much easier as all the really hard work has already been done.
Double digging loosens up the soil and enables roots to grow bigger and stronger. In turn your plants will be bigger and healthier too. You'll also aerate and improve your soils drainage.
If you're planning on building raised beds you'll need to double dig first.
So I just dig?
Pretty much, however there is a bit of a method to it...
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First of all mark out you area. Now take off the top layer of weeds or grass with your spade.
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Start digging to a depth of about 10-12 inches deep. Dig the full width of your bed. You may need a pick to loosen up your soil and prize out any large stones that are hiding below.
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Remove any stones and weed roots then put your excavated soil into a wheel barrow.
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Get a pick or fork and loosen up the soil at the bottom of the trench. Once that's done you can throw some of the sod you removed earlier. Turn it up side down so it can't grow again. The grass will break down and add organic matter to you soil.
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Now start digging a new trench next to the one you have just dug. Instead of putting the soil in a wheel barrow fill in the first trench with your soil. Again take care to remove any roots and large stones. This will save a lot of heartache later on.
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Just repeat until you've finished. Fill your last trench in with the soil form the wheel barrow.
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Have a cuppa or something stronger!
