Constructing Your Garden

Regardless of which garden type you choose, the first step is to remove the weeds and grass.  This will be more important mid-summer when it gets hot and the ones that don't get removed keep growing.


This can be done with a shovel or a tiller. 

I removed all this grass with a shovel.  I wish I would have removed all the grass in and around this box before putting the wood in place.  Eight years later and one corner still has grass trying to grow under the edges of my box.   

With a tiller, till down only about 2 inches.  then with a metal rake, rake the grass and weeds away.  Then till again about 8-10 inches to have dirt to shape the beds.

Can you see how he used a rake to pull dirt from the isle? 

 

I'm sure at this point you would love a video.  This is a video of Jim Kennard demonstrating how to make a garden in the ground. This is a handout that shows the layout of the garden beds.  

This video show how to make the garden boxes.  After 10 years of Mittleider gardening an 18" wide box is my favorite size.  One long box can be watered with just one timer.  This narrow box is also easier to tend.  

Consider getting this book if you plan to make a Mittleider Garden.  It has much more details than I've included here. The Mittleider Garden Course 

Once you've constructed your garden, then it's time to plan to plant or here to return.