Topic: Preparing vegetable beds

[Them be Plants]

I have been digging out my 10x4 vegetable beds ( hot work it is too )

My question is how do I finish them off ready for planting. I was planning to use a few as salad beds one for a couple of rows of peas and then look to planting my autumn crops in the others. So do I manure them add multi compost or what? can I plant the seeds of a green manure then dig that in.
As far as I know the ground has just been a meadow for years and the area we have for allotments was predominantly bracken.

What would you people with years of experience do?

Thanks in advance

Pete

[grahamjohn]

Jve taken over derelict plots many times over the years. you will almost certainly need to lime your beds prior to planting your late peas and salad. You will also need to fertilise  the soil as it will be devoid of the necessary nutrients.
Dont expct too much this year as youre very late to start. however read up well for veg requirments for next year ie no maure for carrots and parsnip. firm soil for brassicas etc. Can I recommend the vegetable expert by Dr Hessayon and the edible garden by Hannelie Boks, both must reads for the serious veg grower .
good growing, Graham

[ChrisBro]

Jve taken over derelict plots many times over the years. you will almost certainly need to lime your beds prior to planting your late peas and salad. You will also need to fertilise  the soil as it will be devoid of the necessary nutrients.
Dont expct too much this year as youre very late to start. however read up well for veg requirments for next year ie no maure for carrots and parsnip. firm soil for brassicas etc. Can I recommend the vegetable expert by Dr Hessayon and the edible garden by Hannelie Boks, both must reads for the serious veg grower .
good growing, Graham

Thanks for the tips off to find them books :)

[Bjerreby]

Apart from the initial clearing, digging is only necessary to incorporate organic material and thereby improve moisture retention, to break up compacted soil to let air in, and to improve drainage. I don't see the need for digging every year, and, for example, the RHS advise that annual digging is in fact detrimental. "No-dig" cultivation is nowwidely considered better than traditional ways. I dug my beds once (when new) and never since. Worms do the work. I might have to dig again in a few years, but I doubt it. I maintain fertility by piling loads of compost on top (maybe forking in in a bit), and mulching with seaweed. The seaweed breaks down to nothing within a year, adding all the nutrients the plants need. If you cannot get seaweed, compost will do the trick on its own. I recommend putting any manure into the compost heap, not directly on the vegetable beds.

For sowing most seeds you will need to break down any lumps you have and form a fine "tilth". I use a metal grating for that, and then a rake.

One word of warning. In ground like yours there can be cutworms. If there are, you will arrive in the morning to find all your lettuces toppled over and the stems bitten through. It is heartbreaking. Cutworms disappear after a few years of cultivation though, and if you carefully grade / seive the soil into a tilth, you will be able to remove the grubs by hand.

Go for it Pete!

[Larkshall]

To dig or not to dig depends on your soil. When I lived in the Breckland area (sandy soil) it was only necessary to dig in humus and fertiliser (animal manure). Now that I live in South Cambs. on heavy clay soil it's vital to dig every year to prevent compaction (especially with heavy rains we have experienced in recent years). Yesterday I was digging new potatoes and the soil was like concrete hardcore, but this morning we have heavy rain which will soften it up, (but too much will make it "claggy").

[Mr Smith]

What little I know about veg growing can be tattooed on the back of an ants arse, but I tend to follow traditional methods and advice for veg growing on allotments rather than trying to turn something into a science, I'm all for acquiring more knowledge on the subject but if you put the same question to ten experts you would have ten differant answers, :)

[grannyjanny]

And they would all be right in there own way ;).

[Digeroo]

vegetable expert by Dr Hessayon

  Great book would not be without it. 

Started with this in one hand and the spade in the other.  Great place to start.  Still time to get lots of things going. 

[Bjerreby]

Now that I live in South Cambs. on heavy clay soil it's vital to dig every year to prevent compaction (especially with heavy rains we have experienced in recent years).

I have very heavy clay too. It only gets compacted if somebody walks on it, so I have permanent paths between the beds, which are not so wide I cannot reach everywhere from the paths.

If you dig very thoroughly just once, breaking up the lumps, and add masses of organic matter (and I mean masses), the weather doesnt compact clay soil. At least that is my experience.

[Them be Plants]

Thanks for the replys

I picked the veg and herb expert up today and plan to have a read in bed when its peaceful ( 2 young kids )

We had torrential rain for about 25 mins this morning so not really done much on the lottie just dropped off 3 bags of organic manure ready for spreading about its the prepared stuff from a garden centre 3 for a tenner. also got 2 rolls of weed repressant matting to spread over some beds. So weather permitting tomorrow will be productive.

Thanks again for the advice its really appreciated.

Pete

[Tee Gee]

My way; http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Slide%20Shows/Soil%20preparation%20ss/soil%20preparation%20ss.html

[tonybloke]

welcome to the board, thembeplants (pete) ;)