Warming the Soil

[Garden Manager]

I have a couple of questions on this:

1 What is the best method for warming soil at this time of year ready for planting/sowing early crops?

2 How long in advance of sowing/planting should you 'apply' the soil warming method?

I am planning to start growing on the veg plot a bit earlier this year, and want to plant early potatoes and onion sets within the next few weeks (weather permitting of course!). I need to know what I need to do to get the soil ready please.

[Garden Manager]

[MikeB]

1. cloches

2. 3 to 4 weeks

[tim]

We saw the other day that clear plastic is better than black, but can encourage the weeds.

[Garden Manager]

Thanks for replies.

I dont have any cloches unfortunately (I use wire hoops and a plastic sheet if I want to 'cloche' something).

Tim: I would have thought that black plastic (or anything black) woud make things warmer. We are always told black attracts heat, white reflects it.  I suppose though the idea with clear plastic is that it creates a warming 'greenhouse effect' on the soil.

[tim]

It "allows the sun's warmth through".

[Garden Manager]

It "allows the sun's warmth through".

isnt that what i said ?

[tim]

I was merely quoting the article as back-up.

[Garden Manager]

We saw the other day that clear plastic is better than black, but can encourage the weeds.

That said it ensures that what weed seed in the top layer of the soil does germimate so that it can be removed before planting or sowing.