Cutting and preparing new beds

Cutting and Preparing New Beds

Properly preparing a new bed will ensure that you grow strong and robust plants. At Château de la Rongère we use a turf cutter to help us prepare new beds in areas of lawn.

The turf cutter ensures that the seed bank is removed so our bed won't be taken over by weeds in the future.

Cutting a Bed

The biggest issue you will face when cutting a new bed, particularly in a lawned area, is the existing seed bank in the topsoil. A bank of seeds can last for up to 100 years, so even if you can't see any weeds growing, it is likely that there are dormant seeds lurking under the surface of the soil.

The aim of preparing a new bed is to respect the natural structure and layers of the soil while also removing the seed bank.

What not to do:

• do not spray the area with chemical herbicides to prevent weeds. This will damage the microbial life living in your soil and result in unhealthy plants in the future
• do not rotovate the land when creating a new bed. Rotovation will mix the existing seeds deeper into the soil and will also chop up existing perennial weeds. Many perennial weeds can grow from just a small piece of their root, so chopping them up means more will grow.

The Turf Cutter

Turf cutters are a time-saving piece of kit used for preparing soil and new beds. They can be height adjusted depending on the depth you want to cut to, and are perfect for cutting large areas of lawn.

When you begin, it's a good idea to put down a guideline so you can cut your first bed as straight as possible.

Also, remember to leave a walkway between your beds so that you can access them without treading on the soil.

How to Use a Turf Cutter

When using your turf cutter, a thicker cut means you'll be able to remove more of the root system and the turf will be easier to roll up afterwards.

By cutting at the right height, you'll be able to remove the weed seed without removing too much of the topsoil beneath.

• Use your turf cutter on a dry day or the blades may stick.
• Turf cutters generally cut to a width of 30cm, so you will need to cut two rows side by side to create a 60cm bed.
• Roll up the first cut before cutting the second width. This way, you can follow the line of the first bed.

Rolling Up the Turf

• Rolling up the turf in sections will ensure it's easier to lift, stack and store.
• To do this, slice it off at intervals with a sharp spade.
• You can put your turf through the composting cycle if you are using a hot composting method (over 55 degrees), which will kill off the weed seeds.
• You can also reuse the turf to create a lawn in another section of your garden.

How Easy Is It to Use the Machine?

Turf cutters are very easy to use and you will find them similar to using a lawnmower. They are self-propelled but you may need to use more force if a root system is particularly tough.

If you don't want to buy one, you may be able to rent one from a local tool hire centre, golf club or stately home.

If not, you can do exactly the same job with a sharp spade or a turfing iron (a heart-shaped spade designed for lifting turf), though the job will be more labour intensive.

Watering the Soil

Once you've removed the turf, unless the soil is already wet, you should water it.

After you have watered it, it's time to prepare your bed for future planting. By putting the effort in now, you will be guaranteeing the future health of the plants you grow.

This is how we prepare a new bed for planting:

• scatter the bed with a thin frosting of climate compost
• it is best to do this on an overcast day as the microbes in the compost do not like sunlight
• rake over the bed to incorporate the climate compost into the soil
• use a broad fork every 10 or 15 cm to aerate the soil
• rake the surface of the soil again to encourage the compost to trickle down into the soil below.

What Does a Broadfork Do?

A broadfork is a large, two-handled fork that's used to aerate soil. The broad fork doesn't disrupt the natural layers of the soil; it just aerates it and allows any compost you apply to work its way down into the natural layers below.

By using your body weight to push the fork into the soil, the fork lifts the soil surface and fluffs it up, incorporating air into the layers below.

On healthy soil, use the broad fork every 10 - 15 cm. If your soil is more compacted, you will need to use the broadfork at smaller intervals.

Afterwards, use a heavy rake, such as this one, to help the compost reach down into the layers below.