Am I doing this right?

[WiZeR]

Hi guys.

I spent a very productive day up the allotment yesterday. My 'no-dig' aim was to get the raised beds ready for planting. My train of thought goes like this: Line each bed with cardboard, add a thin layer of unrotted manure then add some multipurpose compost on top.



Will the manure and carboard rot down in time?
Should I buy some worms to speed it up?

Any help appreciated.

[NEWTO THE PLOT]

I think it should rot down just fine wish my beds were going this well,and the worms will find there own way up but i could be wrong

[carlseawolf]

that is a really fine set of beds you have there 10 / 10

[OverWyreGrower]

They look great!

Can you come and make some raised beds for me too??

[WiZeR]

Thanks, I am particularly proud of these beds. There are another 6 to be built. To be on the safe side I may just invest in a small amount of worms to speed up the process. Also I think on 2 or 3 of the beds I am just going to put compost as I want to be ready as early as possible for onions, shallots and leeks.

[WiZeR]

actually that picture is not the latest. I finished the day by laying some landscape material for the path:

[carlseawolf]

is it possible to give 11/10 a great start!

[nick the grief]

The cardboard will take about a month (give or take) the muck a bit longer. They look really good Wizer but you may have troubles growing root veg in them because of the thinlayer of cultivated soil & the manure ( it will be too rich for them)

Is ther any chance you could dig one over to grow you root veg in ?

I'll still give you 10/10 though - excellent job.

[Mrs Dobby]

Wow!! Very impressed, they are brilliant, 11/10 from us too!

[WiZeR]

cheers Nick

There little chance of me digging as this seems like an instant route to a week in bed for me. The only digging I intend of doing is for the apple trees. However, I am prepared to spend a bit of money on bags of compost to fill a couple of the beds up.

So Carrots, parsnips, sweed, celeriac... anything else that wont like my manure/compost mix?

[nick the grief]

OK, could you hire a small rotavator ( or borrow one like a Mantis) that would do the job for you. Eventually you'll be OK as the no dig will improve the soils anyway.

Barassica - you may be able to get away with just palnting them straight into the beds as they like it firm ish and usually follow on the manured bed in year 2 (does that make sense ) so that means you could save on some muck. - what you could do is grow them in 3" pots then plant them out using a bulb planter to take a core out.

Apart from that carry on you doing well.

[Sue]

Wizer
I've just been reading a new book from Ken Thompson at Dorling Kindersley called Compost, out later this month. Layout is a bit fancy but it's got soom good no-nonsense advice.
He suggests that
1 move the compost bin round the raised beds to use all the lovely leakings and left overs when you come to move it, also good for worms.
Otherwise he suggests
Cover your chosen bed with a good layer of newspaper or cardboard and water well. This continuous layer will prevent weeds from becoming a problem. Finally add layers of kitchen waste and, ideally grass clippings as they become available.
Once you have accumulated a layer about 6" thick, just leave it for a few months or over winter, watering during dry spells. You can then plant your veg directly through the now-decomposed organic layer
Hope this helps
best wishes
Sue

[Judi]

Hi Sue,
I like the 2nd suggestion you have mentioned . I am just about to make a new plot on a grassed area - do you think it would work going directly onto the grass - or should I be stripping off the turf before I start - or just get the rotovator onto it?
Thanks
Judi

[*Feather*]

Wow WiZeR! Those beds are very impressive! 10/10 from me!
What will you put on your paths over the material? I've started something similar and I'm thinking of putting paving slabs for easy maintenance...

[WiZeR]

It is landscape fabric, I will eventually cover it with wood bark or shingle.