Spring is a great time to plan for that new garden or landscape bed, and one of the most important steps to take for the future health and beauty of your new plants is pre-planting landscape bed preparation. Unfortunately, it is often a dreaded chore for many gardeners.  We are, after all, CREATIVE!  SPONTANEOUS!  When inspired to plant, we want to plant NOW!  Why devote the energy to time-consuming pre-planting preparation?!  Read below about the tremendous benefits of clearing and leveling your site, not only in the early stages of the bed, but for years to come!

**The first step in preparing your new landscape or garden bed is to know the location of your underground utilities. Call Sunshine 811 or 800-432-4770 to have your lines located. This is a free service.

Now, on to how to clear and level your site.

1. First, dig out and clear the area of all plant materials including sod, old roots, etc.
2. Once these materials are removed, loosen the soil with a shovel.
3. Then, rake the area level and smooth.

While simple, this project can be challenging depending on the conditions in your landscape.  Clearing and leveling your bed will:

• Create a nurturing environment for your new plants.
  New plant roots can freely grow without competition from any old roots or other debris, and newly loosened soil will encourage lateral root development. New plant roots can freely grow without competition from any old roots or other debris, and newly loosened soil will encourage lateral root development.
• Enhance drainage.
  Leveling your bed will allow rainfall or irrigation to fall and flow evenly on the surface. Individual plants are more likely to receive equal amounts of water by eliminating the “hills and valleys” that are created by leaving existing debris or having uneven soil heights.
• Allow organic mulch to be applied in a level manner.
  The recommended depth of mulch to be applied and maintained is 2-3 inches.  A level plant bed allows this depth of mulch to be equally distributed, avoiding mulch washing and piling up against plants.  An important step in leveling the soil in a new bed is to make sure the soil height is 3-4 inches below the adjoining surface (hard surface or sod).  As the 2-3-inch-deep layer of mulch is applied, the mulched bed should be slightly lower which avoids mulch washing onto adjacent surfaces.  This step may require the actual removal of soil.

• Enhance visual interest. This is one of those elements that you must see to fully describe.  A bed that has been properly prepared has a “clean” look.  The edges are sharp, rather than uneven.  The mulch will lay smooth and will visually enhance the appearance of the newly installed plants.

Enjoy this beautiful spring weather, and if you want to plant a new garden area, consider taking the time to go the distance and clear and level your site.  You’ll be glad you did.  Happy Gardening!

For more information, contact UF/IFAS Extension Polk County at (863) 519-1041 or visit us online at http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/polk. The Plant Clinic is open Monday-Friday, 9:00 am-4:00 pm to answer your gardening and landscaping questions. Give us a call or email us at polkmg@ifas.ufl.edu.

If you are not in Polk County, Contact your local UF/IFAS Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Plant Clinic.

The Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Program is a volunteer-driven program that benefits UF/IFAS Extension and the citizens of Florida. The program extends the vision of the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, all the while protecting and sustaining natural resources and environmental systems, enhancing the development of human resources, and improving the quality of human life through the development of knowledge in agricultural, human and natural resources and making that knowledge accessible.

This article was written by Master Gardener Volunteer Molly Griner under supervision of the Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator and Residential Horticulture Extension Agent Anne Yasalonis.

An Equal Opportunity Institution.

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