How deep and wide do I need to dig a flower bed?

Question

I'm digging a flower bed in my backyard. In Pearland, TX (a suburb outside Houston) we have lots of clay. So digging a hold just big enough for a bulb probably will not allow for enough room to grow. How much do I have to dig to allow for some flowers to bloom freely?

Answer 1

It varies depending on the bulb/type of flower most of the time the package the bulbs came in will tell you how deep and how wide the holes need to be.

Answer 2

Don't ya just love clay soil?? Some day I'd like to live where there's a bit more drainage. The idea is to initially prepare the whole bed. Individual holes only creates individual clay flower pots so the roots don't go beyond the original hole. Once the bed is prepared, the size hole dug for the plants should be "generous." That is is could be at least several inches wider than the plant going in.

Depth: ah tricky. Initially you should be "double digging" that is at least two shovel depths down and reversing the soil, top goes to bottom and vise versa all the while adding compost or peat moss. Sand just makes clay set up harder, so don't even try adding that. The difference between clay particles and sand particles is like a tiny pearl to a beach ball, it would take feet and feet of sand to make any difference to 6 inches of soil......and you'd still have a soil interface problem where the sandy clay met the hard clay.

Anyway, back to depth, once the flower bed is prepared, as mentioned above, dig wide, but don't over dig deep to set the plant. This is especially true with heavier plants, e.g. trees. The more weight on loosened soil underneath, the more likely the plant will sink too deep into the soil and fail.

Being in Houston area, you may hit subsurface water in your digging. Solution would be to drain the bed with subsurface drainage tiles......if you have a slower spot for the water to be directed to. Alternative is to go up, that is raise your beds. Before you start thinking retaining walls, one of the best gardens in my area was made by serious gardeners who mounded their soil about 18-24 inches. Obviously they needed to supplement the amount of soil and added plenty of compost.....yearly. Anyway, magnificinet garden. Plants loved their soil, plants showed well on the slopes and the people didn't have to bend over quite so much.

Answer 3

Hi,Planting in clay is almost impossible to get the bulbs to start growing their permanent roots.I would suggest digging the clay out and replacing it with black dirt.You will have to put the bulbs in around 2-3 inches deep,You want enough soil on top to cover them at least 2-3 inches.You don't want to put them deeper because they won't come up.they would suffocate.What type of bulb (flower) are you going to plant so I can give the 100% correct answer and what type of light? Full sun,(Partial sun at least 6 hours of direct sun a day)Partial shade or all shade.I am an UN licensed Gardener and for some reason I can get anything to grow and I have customers all Spring ,Summer and Fall.I live in Minnesota but I mostly have tropical plants but I do have star gazer Lillie's and Orchid Bulbs that always come up.I also weather all of my plants in the house in my gardening room that has plenty of windows.My 13 geranium patio plants are now 19 years old.Have a Great Day,Bev

Answer 4

It depends on WHAT you're planting & how much. Some things don't need to be set too deep & can be close together. Some stuff needs deeper prepared soil & farther apart. The nursery (place you bought bulbs) will have someone who can give you advice for the things you bought there. If you bought packets off a rack in a grocery or other store there will be planting info on the packet. Decide what you want to plant & ask the nursery how to prepare the bed. Or look it up on the internet by plant name. Or gardening society. There may be a local organization that will help you start your gardening experiences successfully. Local geography/climate will determine specific needs.

Answer 5

deep wide dig flower bed

Answer 6

The first this to do after you decide where you want your garden is to lay it out usually with a garden hose and dig inside the area . The size of the garden is entirely up to you and how much yard you have, and how much work do you want to put into it. The only rules are the directions on the plants or bulbs. To obtain the best results for you bulbs or flowers you would do well to add some gypsum, compost, and some bagged manure a little sand and mulch for the topping.
Happy Planting....
Just a reminder that for tulips and irisis, daffodils and most bulbs they need to be planted in the fall of the year.

See link below and excerpt.
http://www.gypsum.co.nz/
Gypsum is particularly useful for treating heavy (clay) soils where it is used to improve the soil's texture, drainage and aeration. Gypsum also has applications in the remediation of soil that has been damaged through compaction (heavy stock, machinery), in the recovery of sub-soils exposed by earth movement (contouring, slippage) and in soils affected by salinity (estuarial berms, dairy effluent).
http://www.annettemcfarlane.com/calendar.htm
March Planting Guide for Central Texas Zone 8b
http://home.earthlink.net/~cottagegardeners/id14.html

I have included a couple of sites you might use for a planting calendar

Answer 7

Most flowers roots do not go any deeper than 18". At that point they just spread.
I would use, rent, borrow or buy a tiller, mix equal parts potting mix, steer manure, top soil and compost,....till the bejeeses out of it into the soil as wide as you can and 12-18" deep. The more good soil you add now, the better it is going forward.

I wish you well.

Answer 8

If planting bulbs: you need the bulb to be 2 to 3 times as deep as it is in diameter. You want to loosen the soil twice as deep as you plant. If you have nothing but clay or very poor soil, add some peatmoss or other store bought soil.

As for diameter I would think about 6 inches minimum, but if using a shovel to work the soil you will most likely go beyond that.

Answer 9

first of all it depends upon your garden's soil.you can dig 5 to 6 inch deep and 2to 3 inch wide that will the best for nourish the bed comfortably.

Answer 10

1 1/2 feet wide and losen the soil about 8 or nine inches deep