How to Dig a Flower Bed

Dig a flower bed well, and you'll have half your gardening work done for you. A well-prepared bed promotes good drainage, has plenty of nutrients, makes watering and weeding a snap, and prevents disease and pests. And it doesn't have to break your back, either, if you follow a few garden-savvy tips.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Gardening Gloves
• Compost Makers
• Lawn Mowers
• Edgings
• Shovels
• Rototillers
• Pitchforks
• Garden Rakes
• Newspaper
• Garden Spades
• Fertilizers

1. 

   Dig a small hole about 2 feet deep to see what sort of soil and conditions you're dealing with. Then choose an amendment for your soil as needed.

2. 

   Control severe weed problems by mowing and then spraying the area with a nonselective herbicide, such as RoundUp. Wait three days to proceed. Or, as a non-chemical alternative, mow the area and dig it up or till. Then let it set for two to three days to allow annual seeds to germinate. Hoe or till a second time.

3. 

   Spread 4 to 5 inches of compost and any other soil amendments over the top of the area you intend for the bed, grass and all.

4. 

   Till or dig up the soil to a depth of at least 18 inches, 24 inches if you're planting perennials.

5. 

   Toss out any chunks of sod or tufts of grass that appear on the surface.

6. 

   Rake smooth with a ground rake and plant.

7. 

   Install edging, if desired. Edging isn't a must but does help keep out grass and some other weeds while creating a neat appearance.

Tips & Warnings

• Minimize problems with chunks of sod by laying down a layer of newspaper before spreading the compost. Allow to sit at least 6 weeks or, better yet, over the winter. Then work the soil as described above.

• The above method for creating a new flower bed works only if the soil is reasonably good. In areas with very sandy or very clay-laden soil, raised beds are your best bet. Or if you don't mind the work, dig out and dispose of the problem soil, and replace with a mixture of compost and high-quality topsoil.