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Thought I'd share this with everyone as it helped me out greatly this weekend. When digging in heavy soil I find it tends to stick to the spade, so much that quite quickly it becomes heavy and makes it impossible to make another dig. You can push the soil off with you boot but this is cumbersome and causes the soil to stick to your soles. You inevitably stand on the bit you've just dug and it also sticks to front and back of the spade so you do it twice.
I found that if you keep a lump of wood where you are digging and whack the wood with the side of the spade each time it easily clears the spade. Once I found the knack it was quite easy and managed to dig for two hours. You must make sure you strike perpendicular to the grain otherwise you can split the wood. Oh and don't forget to keep retreving the wood from under the soil!
I found that if you keep a lump of wood where you are digging and whack the wood with the side of the spade each time it easily clears the spade. Once I found the knack it was quite easy and managed to dig for two hours. You must make sure you strike perpendicular to the grain otherwise you can split the wood. Oh and don't forget to keep retreving the wood from under the soil!
to dig on sticky soil is not recommended because it destroys the soil structure and squeeezes out any air pockets formed by worm activity, dead roots or organic matter. If you've left big clods on the surface for the frosts to get into it, it should go some way to achieving a seedbed in Spring though!
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