I'd say yes. Only because that's exactly what I've done when I created my new border infront of my deck :)

hi i dont see why not also do you need to go that deep 3 inches should be enough you would still have to did it though and take any roots thats left.dig some good compost in as well as to put a bit of goodness back in to the soil it is easier now than later.good luck.

Many thanks. That is all very helpful.

Hi, I agree with Kennyboy, 3" is ample, but if you can manage it I would double dig the plot, incorporating as much humousy material as you can manageto get hold of, ie, garden compost, well rotted manure, etc, and if the ground is heavy clay, loads of horticultural grit or sharp sand to improve the drainage as well, that way you can also plant deeper rooted plants or shrubs, Derek.

Agree with Kennyboy and Derekm, except for the double digging (I can't see the point, its fallen radically out of fashion now, and that's generally all it was, a fashion, sorry Derek, though there are odd occasions where it might be called for) - I'd just dig over the top spit and incorporate well rotted compost/manure.

Hi Bamboo, I would have thought that double digging would be beneficial in this case, as it has previously been a lawn, and is more than likely compacted, and double digging would give better aeration, as well as better drainage, and freeing up more nutrients, I made a new bed in part of my lawn last autumn, and I did double dig it, Derek.

Yes, I know what you mean, and what you say was certainly the recommended course of action - but for the last twenty years, I've not bothered with double digging, and, like most of us, during that time I have very often cut out lawned areas and planted them up. I have to say the results were just as good with digging one spit deep and adding composted materials as they were with all the trouble of double digging. Plus there is some newer thinking about soil and its structure and the damage digging does... but would still recommend double digging if, say, you're taking up a car parking area to turn over to planting instead.

Hi Bamboo, thanks for the info, I still work on what I learned as an apprentice gardener, but haven't kept up with the latest thinking as I've only had my own garden to think of since finishing work to look after my wife 26 years ago, you can bet your life I won't be doing any more double digging, lol, Derek.

too right, Derek - that's a young person's job, double digging. As a point of interest, did you know that in Victorian times, all those gardeners employed by big houses were set to double digging in winter - not because it needed it, just to give them something to do so they could be kept on staff rather than laid off for six months...

Hi, no, I didn't know that, glad I wasn't born in that era, {even though it was the wrong time of year}, but when I was in charge at the park, we used to clear ditches round the perimeter of all the school playing fields that we looked after, bit pointless I know, but they had to do something for their wages, Derek.

Might not have been pointless - if they'd been left, drainage would have been compromised over time!

Hi Bamboo, well not totally pointless I agree, but there was no way they needed it every year, but there was very little else, apart from painting all the park benches, Derek.

If you can get the spade in to its full depth it saves a lot of carting of turf to just turn the sod over and put it grass side down in the bottom of the hole it came out of. It rots down in situ and self composts. Its more effort at the time but I always do it -saves carting the turf and finding somewhere to stack it, and the job's done - no stack to dismantle in a year or two. (As long as you don't have couch grass in your lawn...)

Well, thank you all very much. You've certainly given me some food for thought.
I like the idea of turning the sod over, that sounds like the least effort.
But I want to plant the area this spring, asap, in fact. I've got lots of plants ready to go in. It wouldn't be easy to plant amongst upturned sods, would it?

I'd go with removing the sods, personally - you never know what's growing in your turf, often there's daisies, buttercup and various seeds just waiting to germinate.

I found if you bury them deep enough ( a spades depth) they don't come back. I've done five beds this way and the only one I had problems with was the one I did in a hurry and skimped on the depth so some grass regrew. If there are dandelions its reasonably easy to pull them out. I've not had any weeds come through at all.

If you dig the turves, and turn them over, they will be quite solid. How easy would it then be to plant amongst them?

What Steragram's saying is, skim off the turf 2-3 inches deep, then when you dig, dig down a spade's depth, insert a turf upside down, then cover, dig the next bit to a spade's depth, insert the turf, then cover and so on, so all the turf is a spade's depth down as a minimum. I never do that because I do most of my digging with a fork because the soil here in this part of London is quite heavy - I only use a spade to actually dig a hole to plant, after its all been previously dug over. So that method I've just described is, for me, a right pain in the proverbial, so I skim the turf off, then carry it somewhere out of the way and stack it upside down, then use the resulting composted material 1-2 years later on the borders. Plus, if you've got a particularly large plant in a deep pot, its entirely possible, when you try to plant, you find yourself having to dig down to where that upside down piece of turf is, and then its in the way.... It's down to personal choice which method you prefer.

Thanks Bamboo, that's exactly what I meant. You do it one turf at a time so there is never a backlog of turfs waiting. . I tried taking off several and then burying them in a trench but for some reason the trench was never long enough! You have to make the hole straight sided and even then sometimes you have to bend them a bit and press them down. But it doesn't take any longer than carting them away and making a stack.

If you do it in the autumn there's not much left of it by spring planting time. If you were wanting to plant shrubs straight away you'd have to leave an area free though. As you say its a matter of personal choice. I'll add a pic of one I did this autumn to my photos..

Thanks for the excellent explanation!

Don't forget grass side down - be interested to hear if you give it a try!

And also if you have a lot of soil left over you could dig a hole and bury it haha just joking.

What a good idea Kenny I'll bear it in mind lol.