HOW TO USE TOOLS: DIGGING SOIL
Tim Rumball reveals the right techniques for this crucial job
AUTUMN-digging a vegetable bed, or the soil in a new garden flowerbed, offers a number of benefits. It puts air into the soil; incorporates compost and fertilisers; gives you the chance to remove the roots of perennial weeds; and improves the ‘tilth’ or texture of the soil.
Light sandy soils and loams are easy to turn – if I gardened on heavy clay soil I’d seriously consider using Charles Dowding’s no-dig methods, but my sandy soil is a pleasure to work. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still hard digging the allotment, but I can achieve it in four or five sessions of an hour or so each, spread over a week, without experiencing unnecessary pain.
First thing to consider is your tool. Most gardeners will buy one spade for all digging jobs, so it needs to be right. Buy a strong, lightweight spade with a shaft that’s the right length for your height. There’s no fixed rule here: try different types and sizes to find one you’re comfortable with. Tall people often find a long shaft more comfortable. Modern alloy shafts can be very strong and light, wood looks good and is strong but a little heavier, while tubular steel is often used on economy models.
Stainless or carbon?
Next look at the blade. Stainless steel won’t rust and soil is less likely to stick to it, so it should last a long time and be easier to dig with than carbon steel. Most blades have a lightly curved cutting edge, which should be reasonably sharp. It’s difficult to sharpen stainless steel, but you can sharpen carbon steel so if sharpness is important to you, choose carbon steel. The cutting edge of some blades is slightly pointed, which is said to help on stoney soils. The back edge of the blade, the shoulder either side of the shaft, should have a flat lip. If there is no lip, the blade can cut uncomfortably into the sole of your boot.
Blade size
If you are not strong, choose a spade with a smaller blade so each ‘spit’ of soil you lift will be smaller and lighter. You might even choose a ‘border’ spade, which has a significantly smaller head. This will make it a lot easier.
Handle shape
Nowadays, most shafts have a D or Y shaped handle fitted to the top of the shaft. These designs are more comfortable than the old-fashioned T handle, which spreads your fingers. Plastic D handles are strong, warm and smooth. Y handles on wooden shafts are similar, but in construction the wood is split so they may not be as strong. ‘Devon’ spades have a long shaft with no handle. Some people swear by them, but I find that they tend to tip left or right when loaded with soil. The handle helps to control this tendency.
Technique
So here’s how you dig. First, define the sides of the spit of soil you’re about to lift by driving the spade into each edge, left and right. This controls the size of the spit. Now drive the spade into the edge closest to you. Stand straight and use your body weight through your leg to push the blade home.
To lift the spit, pull back then push on the handle, bending your knees a little while sliding your other hand down the shaft. Keep your back straight and lift the spade by straightening your legs.
At this point, I turn the spit of soil back into the hole it came out of. I’ve developed a technique of flipping it so that the weedy top is buried at the bottom of the hole. If you’re ‘trenching’ or ‘double digging’ just turn the soil into the trench in front.
Cut the next spit alongside the first. This time, you just need to define the right edge (if you’re working left to right) before cutting the edge closest to you and pulling back on the handle. Now all you have to do is repeat this action several hundred times, and you’re done!