Digging a Garden Bed

a step-by-step picture guide to the Corin Pease Method

This will walk you through preparing a straight garden bed. A suggested width is just under two arms lengths so that you will be able to tend the bed without stepping on it. This type of bed can be repeated to make multiple, linear planting beds. This series of pictures was taken as we prepared a bed in the early spring, once the winter cover crop had grown. The ground should be soft but not muddy. If you dig and the soil sticks to itself in big clods, wait until it dries a bit more, otherwise you will damage the structure of the soil. If you are digging a bed in the dry season, water the area well a couple of days before you make the bed to soften the soil.

Step 1: Measure and stake out the border of your plot

For the Corin Pease Method we measured a 3-foot wide bed, allowing for one-foot paths on each side. Begin by marking the edges of your bed. Use a piece of string tied between two stakes to use as a guideline. Do this around the border of the area which will be the bed so that you make a straight bed.

Step 2: Turn under the cover crop using digging forks

Working the depth of the digging fork, turn the cover crop (grown to improve the tilth and nutrient composition of the soil) or weeds (good for adding organic matter to the soil) under. Ensure that the roots are broken up and the soil is aerated-- this will help the plant matter break down more quickly so that you can plant sooner!

Step 3: Dig a one-foot path on each side of the bed using a shovel

Using the stakes as a guide, use a shovel to dig a path one foot wide on each side of your garden bed. Put the soil and cover crop/weeds that you dig up from the path onto the bed. The path should be approximately the depth of a shovel

Step 4: Fill the path with mulch

Use an organic mulch that is readily available to you and that will break down fairly quickly. Try leaves, rice hulls, straw, wood chips, etc. As you weed and pull up spent plants throughout the growing season, toss them into the path. They will break down in the mulch, and then next year you will throw all this nice, broken-down organic matter from the path into your garden bed!

Here we are putting rice hulls into the path.

Fill the path trench up to the soil surface with your mulch material.

Step 5: Hoe the garden bed

Use a digging hoe to hoe the garden bed. Your goal is to break up any clods, and the roots of the cover crop/weeds.

Step 6: Wait about 2-3 weeks, then plant!

Then wait until the plant material has been broken down by soil microorganisms and macroorganisms. If the weather is wet, there will be sufficient soil moisture for the organisms.If the weather is dry, water the bed to keep it moist,not soggy. This will take a couple of weeks.In the meantime, get your plants, seed, and bulbs ready to plant!

Once there is not any or not much intact plant matter, hoe the bed, adding 1 inch of compost. Then tenderly plant your transplants, seeds, and bulbs!

If this page was helpful to you, or if you would like another gardening guide, please email us your comments at ecgarden@ucdavis.edu.