Double digging

1
Double digging

• Double digging is a type of tillage, done by
  hand.
• The purpose is to loosen the soil so that water
  and roots can penetrate deeply.
• Equipment needed is a shovel, sturdy fork, board,
  marking string or tape, stakes and tape measure.
• The other vital component is strength and energy!

2
Select a site in full sun
3
Clean off the vegetation
4
Measure off the bed
5
Mark the bed perimeter
6
Dig a trench across one end
7
Put the soil in a wheelbarrow
8
The trench should be a spade length in depth
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Use a board to stand on while digging, to reduce
compaction
10
Use a fork to loosen soil below trench
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Dig another trench, filling in the first with
soil from the second trench
12
Use the fork to loosen the soil in the second
trench
13
Double digging

• Continue to dig trenches, filling in the previous
  ones, until the whole bed is dug.
• Use the soil from the first trench to fill in the
  last trench dug.
• This may take a while, depending on how hard your
  soil is and how many people are working. This
  bed is going to take a while, since the clay is
  really hard.