Topic: What to do with a perfect (almost) section in August

[newspud9]

After being under cover for 3 years, I have finally removed the plastic, dug over, and got me a prime section on my plot measuring 10' by 6'. The soil has a good structure if a bit dry on top; no clay.  My thought is to add some well rotted manure and compost as I'm not too sure on the available nutrients, and have it in tip top condition for the new season.....or, I could be doing something much more productive with it...but not too sure what....which is where you all come in.

Many thanks for all the responses.

[galina]

After being under cover for 3 years, I have finally removed the plastic, dug over, and got me a prime section on my plot measuring 10' by 6'. The soil has a good structure if a bit dry on top; no clay.  My thought is to add some well rotted manure and compost as I'm not too sure on the available nutrients, and have it in tip top condition for the new season.....or, I could be doing something much more productive with it...but not too sure what....which is where you all come in.

Many thanks for all the responses.

Not sure I understand the question correctly.  Was this a polytunnel?  Are you going to put the cover back on for next year?  Did you grow mainly tomatoes and the question is whether the soil is depleted by growing the same again?

If you are worried about having grown tomatoes in the same soil for years, yes you should replace the top foot of soil every few years.  But you can also do some crop rotation under cover.  Lettuce, cress and oriental brassica over winter, early beans and peas, turnips and carrots and more.  You would still need to feed the soil every year, but it would not be depleted by a solanum mono culture.  And no build up of solanum specific soil problems. 

If you were asking something totally different and I got it all wrong, please ask again.   

[newspud9]

Thanks Galina, and sorry for not being clear.  This was plastic sheeting I'd put over an unused part of the plot back in 2011 whilst I worked on other sections.  Now that those are up to speed, I've been able to remove the sheeting, remove weeds etc. (from the root material, I reckon it was fruit bushes that had previously been there) and give it a good dig over.  As mentioned, I feel it cant hurt to add the manure+compost, cover it up for the winter, and hopefully have it in very good condition for next year for "more sensitive" produce (e.g. not spuds).   But I'm not sure if it could be put to good use now as I dont think there's much sowing time left in the year - not really into lettuces etc. - other than garlic in December.  Grateful for comments.

[BarriedaleNick]

It's not too late for some things to go in.  Just about time for some Mooli or a quick radish crop, overwintering lettuce, maybe some oriental brassicas or if you can pick up some small plants then cabbage/caulis for overwintering.  Perhaps time for some spinach. Then you have onions, shallots and garlic for wintering and broad beans might go nicely on a virgin bit of land.

[galina]

Oh, I get it now ............

yes as Nick says.  If you are not into lettuce, maybe rocket is more in keeping with your tastebuds.  And for an extra tasty green, sow turnips and cloche them when it gets cold.  You might not get any turnips, but lovely turnip tops - and I have been surprised by little turnip roots as well in early spring when other veg is a bit sparse.

Garlic and shallots can go in in second half of October. 

A lot of what you can sow now depends on where in the country you are.  In some mild areas a crop of carrots will still ripen or beetroot, in others you'd be pushed to get a small radish.  But do sow something.  Rocket and cress should be bombproof everywhere (if you can avoid the flee beetles).  I sowed a late crop of looseleaf lettuce and they are already up and there will be leaves to pick in a couple of weeks.  Oriental brassica too. 

If you can cloche or fleece your sowings, you might be surprised what you can get later on by sowing now.

Personally I have never had much luck with overwintering peas and broad beans, but plenty of others have.  If you can be a bit philosophical in case of failure, then go for it.  It might very well work out for you.  Good luck.   

[artichoke]

Field beans ("Wizard"), I have found, are much tougher over the winter than broad beans, and rush into flower in the spring, while keeping the ground covered. On the minus side the pods and beans are smaller, but the plants are enormous with huge numbers of pods on each. A few hours spent putting the beans into small plastic bags for the freezer is pleasant time well spent, and since then I have been throwing them into all sorts of casseroles and salads, or on their own or mixed with peas, and even made into a sort of bean hummus with garlic and oil etc. They are sold as ground cover over the winter, but I prefer to let them grow on and produce.

[newspud9]

Many thanks for all the responses

[squeezyjohn]

I absolutely agree with field beans (Wizard) - they are petite but delicious and don't become tough in the same way larger broad beans do when they are older.

If you can get time to search your local garden centres you might be lucky enough to come across some plants of Chinese Cabbage and Pak Choi which will do well through autumn and in to early winter for some lovely greens at a hungry time ... but I would always net them against the increasingly hungry pigeons too.  It might be a bit too late to start them from seed now.