Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi
My first allotment (Dundee).
Managed to dig over half the plot before things became too wet and/or frozen. Have now finished digging over other half. So, I have newly dug ground and ground broken up by winter frost.
I'm getting a load of well rotted manure on Saturday.
Should I:
1. Cover ALL plot with a layer until time to plant or is it too late for that?
2. Cover original ground dug with a layer until time to plant or is it too late for that?
3. Dig in to original ground dug over before Christmas?
4. Store and dig in when planting?
5. Something else?

Hi Pete,

If it is well rotted, you could dig a trench for your beans & bung some in and cover back over to let the soil settle.

If you plan on tatties, dig a trench put some in the bottom & fork it into the bottom of the trench then a light covering of soil, plant the spuds and top up with the remainder.

If you plan on growing any of the cabbage family I'd use the bit you dug first as it will have settled and the don't like freshly dug ground

Cover the rest over with something (black plastic, old carpet etc). Some people put black plastic down & have the muck dropped on to this as it saves loosing some to the bit of soil it's on.

ntg

Hi Pete
Just to echo NTG's reply - use some in a trench for your beans and use for your tatties - put the rest in a heap and leave it to compost further - other veggies don't need or even like freshly manured ground - see Geordie's excellent posts on composting and crop rotation for fuller info - they are all included in the "sticky" at the start of the veggin' out section.
If you are going to practice crop rotation, only manure the ground that you are going to plant tatties in each year.
Cheers
Rat

When i grow courgettes, marrows and melons I dig a hole about 2' square (can be smaller), half fill with manure then backfill with soil. This creates a mound for you to plant the seeds (or seedling if started indoors). This helps the water to run off, avoiding rotting the plant and encourages roots to grow deeper.

If you decide to leave a pile of already reasonably rotted manure for most of the year, there is nothing to stop you planting some marrows or similar in the heap. I always get large specimens (oops trade secret!) this way. They are also a fantastic excuse to have beer at the allotment...it is their favourite tipple....honest!

__________________
Geordie

Te audire non possum. Musa sapientum fixa est in aure

What's the best thing to do when you've run out of compost? I've got one big raised bed you could eat it's so lovely but that's it. The loamy soil is great - will the other beds be OK with a bit of fish blood and bone until I can make some more compost?