WORK PLAN TIPS

· Organize work crews (the more the better) well in advance of your work day. Know who is going to show up and what their skills are. Call them the day before to confirm that they will be there and to remind them to wear the proper clothing (boots, gloves, etc.).

· Have several copies of the design and layout plan on site. They always seem to get lost, wet or muddy so keeping one in reserve is a good idea. Your layout plan should have measurements of all of the important design features easily readable. (plot and path dimensions, distance from fence, etc.)

· Figure out in advance what soil amendments you will need (based upon your soil test). If you are planning to add compost or topsoil, make sure it is at the site the day before your work bee. (see note below to figure out how much to order)

· Have all the tools you will need ready and waiting. Don’t leave it up to the workers to bring whatever they may have at home. Make a list ahead of time and tell people what they need to bring. Have work gloves available.

· Have plenty of refreshments available, especially water. Encourage people to wear hats and have sunscreen on hand if the weather demands it. You don’t need to provide all of this yourself--share the responsibility!

· Depending upon the work to be completed and the number of volunteers, you may want to organize into work crews with specific tasks. Perhaps someone in your group has experience in landscaping or in managing construction crews. If so, delegate!

· First up is cleaning and preparing the site. That means removing the sod, tilling the soil and adding compost and manure. Taking up sod by hand is not easy but can be made less difficult by using sharp straight-edged spades and lots of volunteers. Sharpen the spades with a file and keep the file handy for re-sharpening. Mechanical sod lifters can be rented but do not use a rototiller for sod removal. They are meant to till soil, not chop up grass. Start by perforating a length of the grass with the sharp edge of the spade. Then do the same to a length parallel to the first line but spade’s width away. Then slip the flat end of the spade under an end of the grass and skim it just below the grass roots, getting as little soil as you can. With some practice and if your spade is sharp you should be able to roll up the sod into nice neat rolls. (This takes practice :-)

Tip:
There’s a “new” method of creating garden beds called “Lasagna Gardening”. It’s a whole lot easier than taking up the sod. Click here to learn more LASAGNA GARDENING

· Don’t forget you’ll need to get rid of the sod once it is lifted. Shake off as much soil as you can to reduce the weight. If there is a bare spot somewhere else on the property, and if you have removed the sod neatly, you can place it there. If not, then stack them off to the side for later use.

· Depending upon the design of the site you may want to add the soil amendments to the whole site or just to the individual plots. If to the plots only, then layout the plots first and till in the amendments after. The following is when you are adding to the entire area:

· Use a tiller or dig in by hand to mix in the soil amendments.

· Rake the soil as level as possible, but allow for a slight slope for drainage.

· Lay out the plots with string and stakes. You have already figured this out on paper ahead of time so it should be relatively easy.

Tip:
Home Depot & other similar stores sell “pencil stakes” --foot long pieces of 2x2, sharpened at one end. It can be worth buying these if you have many beds to stake out. You can use them as bed markers--paint them and put the gardners name or plot number on them-- when you are finished with the laying out.

· If possible, have some kind of paving material for the paths. Seniors and disabled people will appreciate a firm surface to walk on. This doesn’t need to be hard paving--it can be shredded bark, straw, pebbles, patio slabs, or even grass (if you want to mow it)