not aerate the soil as much as a double-dig with spade
and fork, we still double-dig the soil periodically when
signi3cantly increased soil compaction is noticed.
Another disadvantage of U-barring is that the gardener
loses personal contact with the diAerent strata of the soil
and may not be aware of changes in soil quality due to
diAerent soil-preparation techniques, crops grown, or
soil amendments used. Yet the time savings the U-bar
oAers is signi3cant. Each person will need to decide
which factors are most important.
The U-bar is essentially a very large spading fork with
two handles mounted on opposite ends of a rack of 18-
inch-long tines. The U-bar has cut our soil cultivation
time from 2 hours per 100-square-foot bed to 10 to 30
minutes per bed. It is simple to use, and reduces the
bending and lifting motions of digging. It loosens and
aerates the soil with a minimum of soil strata mixing. Its
only constraint is that it can only be used in well-
loosened soil (usually soil that has been double-dug for
at least one season).
Two undergraduate engineering students at Stanford
University designed and built two types of U-bars for
Ecology Action using two diAerent designs as their
starting point.^1 The design presented here is the one
preferred by Ecology Action—both for ease of
construction and for eAectiveness in preparing the soil.
The updated drawings should allow a competent welder
to construct one with little diCculty. It is not intended to
be a “do it yourself” for someone without welding
brent
(Brent)
#1