new bed

[Tohellwithweeds]

right Ive dug my first bed should i cover it in manure and then cover or just cover it in manure and leave it open??? i hope this makes sense it does to me right off back to my lotty to admire the new bed ooooooooooh I'm so excited (easily pleased really) ;D ;D

[Tohellwithweeds]

[Tee Gee]

right Ive dug my first bed should i cover it in manure and then cover or just cover it in manure and leave it open???

I have to ask the obvious first; why didn't you dig the manure in as you dug?

I ask this because if you decide to lime your soil for brassicas at planting out time you have defeated the object of one or the other.

Liming & Manuring should not be done together as will effectively happen here.

Now that you have done what you have done you can do either cover or not cover.

Based on the 'liming' situation I would leave it uncovered and hope that it weathers in by planting out time.

See here; http://tinyurl.com/2hec2a

http://tinyurl.com/yurwbc

[Tohellwithweeds]

i dug the new bed over because it was covered in glass and crouch grass and other bits of scrap metal and now Ive got that done i was going to put manure on the top ? what does lime do ? the bed is going to be my potato bed so will it need lime?

[bupster]

Manure should be fine for spuds, but I should cover it with something to stop weeds...

[Tohellwithweeds]

will do and thanks

[Tee Gee]

what does lime do ?

A big subject, see here; http://tinyurl.com/yf7byh

the bed is going to be my potato bed so will it need lime?

Definitely not!

[kt.]

If it is for spuds you have several options.

1) Spread the manure and leave it on the top until you are ready to plant then turn it in.

2) Spread it and dig it in now.

3) When you dig your trench for sowing the seed potatoes, place a good thick bed of manure in the bottom and trample it down, place the potato on this, layer with a little more manure on top of the potato before earthing up.

If time is not an issue - option one now then option three when you sow. If time is of a constraint, Personally I would go for the third option. This will allow you to continue work on other areas of your allotment and will still give you a good crop of spuds.