How to dig up an overgrown area with a shovel
Buying a plot for gardening today costs a lot of money. At the same time, you don’t always come across lands that you would like to have. A good, budget alternative would be to purchase an overgrown, undeveloped private yard, which you will have to put in order yourself. This must be done according to a clearly defined and pre-drawn up plan.
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How to dig up virgin soil at the dacha, besides a shovel?
Clearing an overgrown area involves a number of procedures that are necessary to make the land fertile and well-groomed. It is recommended to draw up a plan in advance, with approximately the following points:
- clearing the entire area;
- getting rid of grass, bushes, dead wood and trees;
- uprooting stumps;
- digging up the site and loosening it;
- application of black soil;
- leveling and fertilizing the territory.
After the manipulations, the soil is left to rest and humus. After the specified time, you can begin planning the garden.
How to clear the area?
Initially, we inspect the area and remove small debris that does not require much physical effort. We place the collected heaps so that they can be conveniently removed from the site.
It is not recommended to bury litter in the ground, as this will only damage the fertile layer.
Next comes the turn of thickets and grass. To begin with, large bushes and tall grass are removed by hand.It is important to remove it at the root so that problems do not arise in the future. It is more convenient to do this with a shovel.
Afterwards, the top layer of soil is removed and placed under an opaque film. This will allow the weeds to rot along with the soil, making it possible to mix them with other soil and place them on the site.
Experts do not recommend using a motor cultivator, since a large number of weeds burrow back into the ground when digging.
Some established specimens cannot be removed without the help of chemicals. In this case, carefully read the instructions and carry out the treatment on a dry, windless day. After two weeks, the weed dries out and is easily eliminated, after which it is burned outside the site.
Trees are removed using an ax or saw, depending on the thickness of the trunk. The tree stump is removed by hand, with a tractor, or using chemicals. Try to get rid of stumps as soon as possible so as not to provoke the growth of young growth.
How to properly dig up a site?
A shovel is the most convenient tool for putting the area in order. First of all, the top layer of soil is removed, large clods of earth are broken up with the device and weeds are removed mechanically. In some cases, it is at this point that fertilizers are applied.
Then they walk through the area with pitchforks. They break up remaining clods and remove weed roots that were not previously noticed. If the soil is good, one dig is enough, but if the soil is stagnant and compacted, you will have to shovel at least twice.
Chernozem is necessary for the future rich harvest of various crops. If the soil is bad, no fertilizer will help.
Next, the area is leveled with a rake.At this point, you can apply granular fertilizers, which are then mixed with the soil again. After carrying out the necessary manipulations, we leave the area for at least a year so that it gets rid of pests and is saturated with sun and nutrients.
You can use a motor cultivator to develop an overgrown area, but only after the stage of removing weeds and bushes. Otherwise, pieces and roots of grass will be buried in the ground and will sprout again before the seeds are added.
You can develop even the most difficult area if you know in what sequence to carry out the procedures. In this case, a shovel is the best assistant that accompanies the gardener at every stage of improving the territory.