How To: Turn over soil

Turning over your soil mixes the nutrients and makes the ground more suitable for planting. Watch this video to learn how to turn over soil.

You Will Need

* Gardening or work gloves
* A garden tarp
* A flat-edge shovel
* A garden fork

Step 1. Lay out the tarpaulin

Put on your gloves and lay the tarp out flat next to your garden. Using the shovel, remove enough dirt to create a hole 1 foot and 2 inches deep. Place the dirt onto the tarp.

Step 2. Shifting the dirt

Step to the side of the hole you created and make another one exactly like it. This time, however, place the dirt you remove into the first hole. At the end of the row, scoop the dirt off the tarpaulin and fill in the last hole.

While turning the soil, make sure to turn over any dead plants and weeds. These will form mulch, a covering on the ground that will enrich the soil.

Step 3. Digging the soil

Repeat these steps until you have turned over the entire garden plot. The soil should now be darker, crumbly, and moist.

Step 4. Fork it over

Using your garden fork, stir up the soil. Start at the beginning of the plot and go row by row, moving from left to right. This will help mulch in any dead or decaying organic material. Get ready to plant now – you're all turned over!

FACT: Earthworms help turn over your soil throughout the growing season by tunneling through the dirt.