Now that the weeds are uprooted, rake the area with the steel rake. Like the garden hoe, the steel rake has a handle about 4.5 feet long. As its name ("steel") suggests, its teeth are strong, meant to stand up to rougher treatment than a leaf rake. The objective in raking is not only to remove the majority of the uprooted weeds, but also any sharp objects that could damage the landscape fabric -- twigs, stones, etc. Steel rakes are also used to even out garden soil.
To use a steel rake, pull it across the soil using a motion similar to that for a leaf rake, but also push with it as you would a push broom. Push and pull, push and pull, back and forth, removing extraneous objects with your hands -- until the planting bed is smooth.
On Page 5, it's time to consider the landscape fabric itself....
