[betascaper]

This is my first post on the site. I used to be in the business, but have since moved on to college and traded in the mowers for a desk (regret it sometimes).

Anyways, I still do a few jobs every year from word of mouth and I just scheduled a landscape installation for the front of a house. All of the current foliage will be removed and replaced with new plantings.

My question is this: The current beds are flush with the lawn, I plan to elevate the beds approximately 3-4". Should I bring in the soil first, allow it to set for a few days, and then add plants? Or, should I just do everything thing at once?

Thank you for your help and input!

-Ben

 

[merrimacmill]

Do it all at once. I use a super soil (50 50 mix of loam and compost) and till it into the beds, then rake and shape them to exactly what you want, do your plantings, and then spread the mulch.

 

[tyler_mott85]

The weight of you walking on the fresh dirt to smooth it out and install the new plants will compact the new topsoil enough to plant.

 

[Jb3NH]

if you think you need to... use a hand tamper to squeeze out the air pockets. A wealthy ( both in $ and family )customer of mine with a love of lawn care and gardens taught me that some years ago. When he wasn't sweatin it in the mud and the rain at the age of 58 he was engineering high end medical equipment around the world. Only guy in this particular upper class neighbor hood took care of his own yard. Hell of a guy.