When you have decided it is time to cultivate and flip the dirt you would like to use in your garden, a shovel is one of the best tools you can use. Some are under the impression that you have to go out and purchase or rent some pricy equipment that you are only going to end up using one time. Luckily for you, this simply is not the case. In most cases, a shovel will be all you need to cultivate and flip the dirt in your garden. This article was designed to show you why the shovel is so good at cultivating and flipping dirt as well as how to actually do the task at hand.
Proper Planning
The first thing you will need to do is determine what method of digging you want to use in your garden cultivation. The process known as “single digging” means digging down and flipping about a foot of the soil. “Double digging” is the same process but twice as deep as in the first method. No matter what you choose you should call the city and find out about local digging laws as well as finding out if there is anything under your garden site that you won’t want to hit like an underground power line or water pipe. Damaging something belonging to the city will cause you too much of a headache and cost you too much money in repairs and fracturing your homes water pipe is obviously not a good idea, it’d ruin the spot you want to use as a garden and you would have no water in your home. A little bit of proper and smart planning will go a long way and ultimately make the entire process a lot easier.
Choosing a Tool
Garden shovels are ideal for cultivating and flipping dirt for a couple of reasons. First, they simply work. Using the proper tools will save you time, energy and probably money as well. The second reason is that shovels do less structural damage to your soil than a tiller or claw would. When choosing a shovel you want the classic spade shape, it’s easier to force a point into hard dirt than the long flat edge some shovels have.
Cultivating Your Dirt
The smartest time to do this job is when the ground is as dry as possible. The wetter the dirt is, the heavier it becomes so it is best to wait until there is relatively no moisture in the soil. Start at one corner of your garden space and dig about a square foot in diameter. As far as depth, just go as deep as the length of the shovel head. Toss this dirt to the side or in a wheelbarrow before digging the same size hole right next to the first one. This time, place the loosened dirt from the second hole into the first one, breaking up any large chunks. Repeat this process across the entire area of your garden until all of your dirt is loose and well cultivated.
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