Just a short video to show you the essentials of double digging a garden.
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25 Responses to Double Digging a Garden
Nice video, I was wandering what double digging was.
BTW, are you saved?
CrimsonTakesFlight
January 6, 2013 at 3:49 pm Reply
Great Vid. It is quite clear by your gardens success that your techniques work in your part of the country. Here in SW Louisiana we call that tool a Sharp Shooter and a shovel with a rounded nose a spade, and a spade with holes drilled in it to brake suction from the soil a rice field shovel. Double digging to us means removing the second layer and swapping it with the top layer, moving all the nutreints to the root system. It had worked for my Dad for over 70 yrs until his death last year.
Yes, your right; we always start off preparing a new grow bed; but after that we never dig or till the following years; with using the proper cover etc. Best regards.
Exposing your Top-Soil to the SUN and air destroys the beneficial microbes and drys out the Soil. There is no need to ever TILL (using spade and fork) the SOIL.
Here’s a small film that will teach you to leave nature alone and grow corps in soft workable Soil, Year after Year. Best regards
…
Search: Back To Eden OFFICIAL FILM on Vimeo
Good and helpful video. Nice soil too! You should try that with my heavy loam! Some may say that this is not double-digging, technically, because the second spit (subsoil) remains where it started, but the effect is the same, and the top-soil/sub-soil separation is preserved. Breaking-up the second-spit is a good opportunity to work in some soil improver to keep it open and well drained.
Great demonstration of double digging. We are looking forward to some very fertile soil.
I suggest a bit more explanation of the benefits of double digging.
good stuff. i think i would start with the pitchfork on the other end so that i am always supported when I rock the pitchfork back to lift up the dirt
Nice video, I was wandering what double digging was.
BTW, are you saved?
CrimsonTakesFlight
January 6, 2013 at 3:49 pm
Great Vid. It is quite clear by your gardens success that your techniques work in your part of the country. Here in SW Louisiana we call that tool a Sharp Shooter and a shovel with a rounded nose a spade, and a spade with holes drilled in it to brake suction from the soil a rice field shovel. Double digging to us means removing the second layer and swapping it with the top layer, moving all the nutreints to the root system. It had worked for my Dad for over 70 yrs until his death last year.
Cajunize
January 6, 2013 at 4:10 pm
Yes, your right; we always start off preparing a new grow bed; but after that we never dig or till the following years; with using the proper cover etc. Best regards.
MrSchpankme
January 6, 2013 at 5:01 pm
@MrSchpankme I think that in the long term you are correct but in the short term with no good soil to start with double digging is a great start.
Robert Wolosin
January 6, 2013 at 5:49 pm
Exposing your Top-Soil to the SUN and air destroys the beneficial microbes and drys out the Soil. There is no need to ever TILL (using spade and fork) the SOIL.
Here’s a small film that will teach you to leave nature alone and grow corps in soft workable Soil, Year after Year. Best regards
…
Search: Back To Eden OFFICIAL FILM on Vimeo
MrSchpankme
January 6, 2013 at 6:23 pm
This was a great video and gave me the idea of what I will be doing with my beds. Thanks for posting it.
mkskywatch
January 6, 2013 at 6:25 pm
arv301, the hard ground meant that a trench digger was most advantageous for the conditions!
Robert Wolosin
January 6, 2013 at 6:35 pm
That is a tile trench digger.
arv301
January 6, 2013 at 7:11 pm
great tip! thanks man..
Jerome A
January 6, 2013 at 7:30 pm
Im so lifeless.. Just searched “digging” on youtube.. I gonna get some sleep, it’s AM already..
WeHateTheSociety
January 6, 2013 at 7:47 pm
Great video… thanks for the tips.
iwaddell
January 6, 2013 at 7:53 pm
That is a spade; at least in Missouri it is one. Post-hole digger has two handles and a hinge.
gill581
January 6, 2013 at 7:55 pm
@robinsong…well here in north central tx where the ground is full of limestone we call it a spade because a normal spade does not work.
Robert Wolosin
January 6, 2013 at 8:47 pm
that’s not a spade. That’s a post-hole digger.
1robinsong
January 6, 2013 at 9:39 pm
Good and helpful video. Nice soil too! You should try that with my heavy loam! Some may say that this is not double-digging, technically, because the second spit (subsoil) remains where it started, but the effect is the same, and the top-soil/sub-soil separation is preserved. Breaking-up the second-spit is a good opportunity to work in some soil improver to keep it open and well drained.
killerdalek
January 6, 2013 at 10:24 pm
dukestt….what is double digging then?
Robert Wolosin
January 6, 2013 at 10:41 pm
That is not double digging
dukestt
January 6, 2013 at 11:39 pm
Great video. I read about this process in lots of books but didn”t grasp the concept till I saw this vid….thanks so much!
AuntieM97
January 6, 2013 at 11:47 pm
thanks great demo
Dave Webber
January 6, 2013 at 11:49 pm
great job mate! healthy beautiful soil looks just as good as choclate.
tgf76
January 7, 2013 at 12:32 am
I will try to work on an additional video regarding the benefits of double digging! Thanks for the comment!
Robert Wolosin
January 7, 2013 at 12:48 am
Great demonstration of double digging. We are looking forward to some very fertile soil.
I suggest a bit more explanation of the benefits of double digging.
jewlzap
January 7, 2013 at 1:33 am
Love this method of gardening, Nice Little video,
icecat79
January 7, 2013 at 1:47 am
buddy we are making it happen.
isforbliss
January 7, 2013 at 2:04 am
good stuff. i think i would start with the pitchfork on the other end so that i am always supported when I rock the pitchfork back to lift up the dirt
isforbliss
January 7, 2013 at 2:22 am