This is where I began, with a piece of grass. Specifically the piece of grass in the middle, in front of the rubbish bins.I began with research into how to 'dig over' the plot. I sought advice from my parents who both had taken on a similar task years ago with a much bigger plot of land. I gathered information online, as well as information from books.
The general consensus was:
- Dig a trench at one end of the plot, approx 1 foot in depth and 1 foot wide, placing the soil in a pile outside the area of the plot. Use this soil at the end of digging to fill in the last trench.
- Begin to work the plot digging a second trench adjacent to the first and turning each spadeful of soil from the second trench into the first trench.
- Continue digging and filling trenches for the entire length of the plot, turning each spadeful so the grass is on the bottom and the newly exposed soil is on the top.
- Fill the final trench with the soil you removed from the first one.
It was tough. And the rain didn't help. But I was determined and in about 2 hours I had 'dug over' my plot. All 8 by 4 feet of it. I used a combination of both a pitchfork and spade. I found that the spade was very valuable for the digging of the first trench, but that the pitchfork was more useful for loosening the soil. As well, I was counseled that the fork would help aerate the soil, where as the spade would not.
All in all it was successful and the next step was to build a raised bed.
