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Soil & manure in raised beds

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  • Soil & manure in raised beds

    Hello all, the soil in my raised beds is heavy clay type and the level has dropped since I put it in (spring 2008) so I topped them up with well-rotted manure last November. I am attempting to operate a 'no-dig' policy and hoped the worms in the compost would do the work for me.

    The compost is actually so well-rotted that the worms had moved on so it hasn't really worked in to the soil. Bearing in my mind I don't want to damage the structure of the soil by digging, should I just rake it level and sow / transplant straight in to it?

    Also, I haven't sown yet and am considering covering each bed with clear plastic in order to warm up the soil for the next couple of weeks - is this a good idea whether I dig the soil or not?.

    Finally, I have one bed for root vegetables which I covered with autumn leaves rather than manure (to prevent forking/splitting). I covered this in plastic garden mesh to hold them in place so it was fully open to the elements but the leaves haven't decomposed. What should I do with these?

  • #2
    I moved this out of growing techniques so people can see it
    WPC F Hobbit, Shire police

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    • #3
      I think it would be better to have the manure dug in. So long as the soil isn't sticking too much to your fork, you'll be doing more good than harm. Don't use a spade though, as it will smooth the clay into an impermeable layer - bad for drainage. If you find it's too sticky, wait until it dries out a bit.

      Covering with plastic (either black or clear) to warm the soil is a good idea, but you'll then need to cover the planted seeds/seedlings with a tunnel cloche or similar to keep this heat - otherwise the soil will quickly cool down again.

      Some leaves take two years to rot down, so it's best to keep them in open black bin bags or mesh bins until they're ready. I'd rake yours off and compost separately if they are still looking too fresh. If they break up easily though it should be fine to just dig them in lightly with a fork.
      Resistance is fertile

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      • #4
        I made some in 2008, also clay soil, dug it over,threw a load of compost (in 2008), and lightly dug it in for last years planting in early 2009.

        Result was lots of worms underneath, and a better structure than the ones I just left alone after digging and threw compost on top of ( it was like concrete and extremely hard to plant into, and cracked and dried out really badly in the summer).

        This year,I'm not digging anything I've put on top in, just lightly swishing it round with the tips of a fork, because when I checked, the soil underneath is a much better texture. I think it's down to digging the stuff in in the first place.

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        • #5
          I'm with Taff on this one - practially word for word what I did when beginning my beds.
          When the Devil gives you Cowpats - make Satanic Compost!

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          • #6
            just one thing, the worms you get in compost,the reddish small ones, are not the ones that'll be living in your soil, so you won't see them if the compost has been fullybroken down..

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            • #7
              Fork your beds over. This will incorporate your manure. It will take a while to get to the truly no-dig stage.

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              • #8
                My Wife filled a raised bed with shredded paper, kitchen waste, raw horse manure and garden soil, waited a couple of weeks then put her toilet roll peas in, round the outside and across the middle.
                We put in stakes about 1m high round outside an strung the stakes very roughly about 100mm,then put fleece around the whole lot.
                Last year we had fantastic crop of early peas with no peaworms.
                Lernt me lesson..try anything once and dont argue with the boss.
                All the best to all,
                Fred P

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