Laying out a flower meadow or a new lawn means a lot of work - of which the mere digging is only a small part.
When should a meadow be dug up?
Digging a lawn can be necessary for a variety of reasons - be it to either create a new lawn or to transform it into an even lawn free of all weeds. In both cases, it is necessary to get rid of the original vegetation, improve the soil and generally loosen it up for better ventilation. Furthermore, digging can be necessary if the meadow is too wet and needs to be drained or numerous traces of moles and voles need to be removed. Digging may also be necessary in the course of straightening.
Digging up is usually not enough for a new plant
If the meadow is only to be overseed, digging is usually sufficient. Only in the case of a completely new system should you remove and dispose of the top layer of soil with the vegetation that has been mowed as short as possible using a flat spade. Otherwise there is a risk that the rhizomes and seeds in the soil will cause unwanted plants to shoot up again and again, which then have to be painstakingly weeded out by hand. If you want to save yourself this effort, remove the top layer together with the rhizomes and seeds and apply new soil - preferably a lean soil-sand mixture.
Dig up the meadow - that's how it's done
How you dig up the meadow depends primarily on its size. A small garden meadow can be dug up by hand with a good spade - assuming sufficient muscle strength and stamina - which in turn is simply impossible with a larger horse meadow. Here you have to rely on the power of the tractor and plow instead of muscle power. But as you dig, you collect larger rocks and roots. This is best done with a fork spade. After thorough digging, the soil must first rest for about three to four weeks before you break it up and finely crumble it with a rake or harrow.
tips and tricks
When it comes to weed removal, many (hobby) farmers swear by the Roundup weed killer, which kills practically all greens. However, Roundup contains the much discredited active ingredient glyphosate, which numerous scientific studies have shown is a powerful carcinogen and has other health consequences. For this reason, you should think twice about using it and use less toxic methods.