You have a plan. You have plants. You have a shovel. Now comes the moment of truth: site preparation. Cut corners here, and everything else suffers.
Chapter 11 is a no‑nonsense guide to getting your ground ready. Owen Dell covers demolition, grading, soil improvement, and weed control – all the unglamorous work that makes the pretty stuff possible.
Step 1: Remove what doesn’t belong. That means invasive weeds (bindweed, ivy, bamboo), diseased plants, dead trees, and unwanted hardscape (old concrete patios, rusty fences). Dell advises renting a dumpster or calling a haul‑away service. Never send green waste to the landfill – compost it or take it to a yard waste recycler.
Step 2: Grade the site. Rough grading establishes the overall shape: slopes, swales, berms, and flat areas for patios. Rent a mini‑excavator or hire a pro for large jobs. For small yards, a shovel and a rake work fine. The key is creating positive drainage – water should flow away from your house foundation at a slope of at least 2% (about 1/4 inch per foot).
Step 3: Improve your soil. Most yards have terrible soil – compacted clay or lifeless sand. Dell recommends adding 2‑4 inches of compost and tilling it in to a depth of 6‑8 inches. This improves drainage in clay, water retention in sand, and feeds soil microbes. Avoid synthetic fertilizers at this stage – you want to build living soil, not just pump chemicals.
Step 4: Control weeds before planting. This is critical. Spread a layer of cardboard or several sheets of newspaper over the entire area, wet it down, then top with 3‑4 inches of mulch. This “sheet mulching” technique smothers existing weeds and prevents new ones for months. By the time you’re ready to plant, the cardboard will have decomposed, leaving rich, weed‑free soil.
Site prep is hard work. But do it right once, and you’ll enjoy years of easy maintenance.
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