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!

Select a site in full sun

Clean off the vegetation

Measure off the bed

Mark the bed perimeter

Dig a trench across one end

Put the soil in a wheelbarrow

The trench should be a spade length in depth

Use a board to stand on while digging, to reduce compaction

Use a fork to loosen soil below trench

Dig another trench, filling in the first with soil from the second trench

Use the fork to loosen the soil in the second trench

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.