Topic: Plan for enriching soil please

[mamalovesmambo]

Hi,

I took over a large plot this year,
and been growing lots of stuff there this summer.
Now I'd like a plan for enriching my soil please.
I've read a bit about it, but have just ended up with a load of questions...

GREEN MANURE
I'm thinking of planting some Green manure when the beds finish cropping.
I like the idea of feeding the soil and keeping the weeds down at the same time.
What's the latest I can sow Green manure?
What are some good Green manures for overwintering?

I know the green manures also need to be in my crop rotation plan.
If I've grown Brassicas in a bed this summer,
should I choose a non-brassica green manure?
Likewise, if I've grown Legumes in a bed,
should I choose a non-Legume green manure?
Do I also need to make sure I don't choose a green manure
of the same family of vegetables that I plan to grow in that bed next season?
Is there any green manure I would choose
that could be grown in all beds without affecting the crop rotation plan?

If I choose to grow green manures,
do I need to enrich the soil in other ways?
Like adding compost and manure?
Should I dig in compost&manure and then sow the green manure?

ROOTS
Should I avoid growing green manure in beds that will have roots in next season?
Should I add anything at all to beds that will have roots in next season?

COMPOST & MANURE
There's a nice big compost pile on my plot.
When should this be added to the beds?
What quantity should be added to each bed?
The beds are 4foot x 20foot.
Should I add some well rotted manure to the beds aswell as the compost?

In the future would it be best to make an integrated compost&manure heap?
From what I've read it's best to make a "hot" heap by layering compost and manure,
so that the heat kills off any weed seeds in the compost and manure.
If I make a big compost heap as I go along,
I could then layer this with manure when I get hold of it.
When is manure usually available? D
o farmers usually deliver once a year (in spring?) or as and when?

Sorry for the barrage of questions!

[supersprout]

Hi mlm, quick question before replying:
You say you have a large plot. Do you want to dig, or not? Answers will depend on your preference! :)

[mamalovesmambo]

Hi,

I have 16 : 4foot x 20foot beds, so that is alot of digging.

But I've read that it's better to dig as this exposes soil-bourne pests for birds to eat.
Also have read that I should dig first to improve drainage and get rid of perennial weeds.
I still have mare's tail, dock leaves and bind weed in some beds, which keep coming back.

Obviously, no digging would be preferable, but I'm willing to dig if that would be better!

With no digging, do I add compost&manure as a mulch as soon as the beds have finished cropping?
Are green manures appropriate for the no-dig method?

Cheers for any advice on how to and pro/con the two methods.

[supersprout]

Where I can I've answered from a no-dig perspective mlm. If you do a A4a search on 'Green Manure' you may pick up other opinions and tips - it seems to be a very personal choice!

What's the latest I can sow Green manure? September
What are some good Green manures for overwintering? Phaecelia, Rye Grass, Red Clover
If I've grown Brassicas in a bed this summer, should I choose a non-brassica green manure? Yes.
Likewise, if I've grown Legumes in a bed, should I choose a non-Legume green manure? Yes, if you can.
Do I also need to make sure I don't choose a green manure of the same family of vegetables that I plan to grow in that bed next season? For brassica - yes. For legumes - I wouldn't worry.
Is there any green manure I would choose that could be grown in all beds without affecting the crop rotation plan? Phaecelia and rye grass.
If I choose to grow green manures, do I need to enrich the soil in other ways like adding compost and manure? Depends on soil type and crop. Usually - not for roots, but definitely for greedy feeders. Most annual veg like plenty of nutrients and humus, but you don't want to overdo it and get leaves instead of fruits.
Should I dig in compost&manure and then sow the green manure? No
Should I avoid growing green manure in beds that will have roots in next season? No
Should I add anything at all to beds that will have roots in next season? Depends on your soil. Not necessarily.
There's a nice big compost pile on my plot. When should this be added to the beds? As soon as it's ready - now!
What quantity should be added to each bed? Mulch up to 8" deep.
Should I add some well rotted manure to the beds aswell as the compost? Yes, except where you're going to put roots.
In the future would it be best to make an integrated compost&manure heap? You can.
When is manure usually available? All year round.
Do farmers usually deliver once a year (in spring?) or as and when? Contact local farmers and riding stables in your area - they vary as to terms and willingness to deliver. Some riding stables have a good clearout in the New Year.
I've read that it's better to dig as this exposes soil-bourne pests for birds to eat. It can do.
Also have read that I should dig first to improve drainage. Depends on your soil type again! Do you need to improve drainage or do you have free-draining soil? I use a broadfork for deep aeration and breaking up potential hard pans up to 10" down - it's like a giant lawn spike, doesn't actually disturb the soil structure. But I only use it once a year as my soil is reasonably free-draining
I still have mare's tail, dock leaves and bind weed in some beds, which keep coming back. Then it's worth tackling these perennial weeds one bed at a time.
With no digging, do I add compost&manure as a mulch as soon as the beds have finished cropping? No, you apply it all year as and when it gets taken into the soil by worms. Whenever it looks depleted, add some more
Are green manures appropriate for the no-dig method? Yes, Phaecelia and Red Clover, which die back and you can mulch over them.

Hope this helps - it might suit you to experiment this year with a number of green manures to see how they suit your soil and your gardening methods! It might also be worth trying both dig and no-dig among your various beds, and choose the method that works better for you :)

[mamalovesmambo]

Hi Supersprout,

Thank you so much for your answers.
I'm going to try the no-dig system, as it will save me alot of backache.

You said
> it's worth tackling these perennial weeds one bed at a time.
What exactly do you mean by this?

Many thanks.

[Robert_Brenchley]

There are two ways to get rid of nasty perennial weeds, dig them out or kill them in situ. To do that you either poison them or deny them light till they expire. I'd suggest you plan to dig part of the plot over the winter, and cover the rest with black plastic. You can then plant anything of any size (spuds, squashes, brassicas, etc) through holes in the plastic. After a season, dig some more over, and so on. Once the bindweed is out (it's a nightmare to get rid of, I find digging it out is the easiest way as I won't use chemicals), then you can use the no-dig methods.