spade up

spade up

To dig up and turn over soil or some body of soil with or as with a spade. A noun or pronoun can be used between "spade" and "up." You'll want to spade up the flower bed and mix in some fresh compost before sowing the new seeds. The ground was so full of stones and weeds that spading the soil up was an absolute chore.
See also: spade, up
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

spade something up

to turn over the soil in a garden plot with a spade. Please go out and spade the garden up so I can plant the potatoes and onions. I will spade up the garden when I have time.
See also: spade, up
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • dirty up
  • dig up
  • Dig up!
  • plow under
  • plowed under
  • do the spadework
  • plow in
  • earth up
  • not do (someone or oneself) any favors
  • dig down
References in periodicals archive
My wife brought the spade up and hit him in the face.