Allotments 4 All

I have read everywhere that they need firm soil, but how firm is firm?

I am preparing new beds, so I lift the turf: how much digging over should I do and what other steps should I take before sowing my seeds?

Mine are in undug soil.  I just planted mine with a bulb planter.  The like to be very firmly planted so tread them well in.  It reduces wind rock which they're going to be prone too when winter comes.  Frost might heave them up a bit too.  I think sprouts and brassicas were traditionally planted where the lotty path had been.  It was part of the plot rotation I understand

I'm just starting out on veg growing an will make a note of this, thanks  :)

Good and firm!  I walked all over my brassica bed before planting...made planting hard work mind. 

Hey EJ!! Welcome back!!
I have been stamping all over the patch where the brassicas are going...seems its the right thing to do. Maybe I got it right for once!! ???

Note to self stamp around brocli when next visit plot. :-\
You learn somthing new everyday. :D

Gayle    Your lotty might be quite firm anyway if it's not been dug for ages so you have a head start  :)

wardy, ive dug some of it and planted leeks and a few purple sprouting broc.
I know your a disliker of digging, keeps you fit. :-\

Right I had to dig my brassica bed over to get out the matt of couch. Having done so I walked all over and beat it flat with my spade. Now though I am worried it may be overly firm, I have read else where that root brassicas do not respond well to too firm a soil. It is hard to know what they mean by 'too firm'. I would say my soil is sligtly less firm than a bare soil path would be.

Do you put really firm soil on top of the seeds too, or crumble a light tilth over them?

When sowing brassica seeds, you need a light tilth as usual for seeds. When the brassicas have, say, 5 or 6 leaves, that is the point at which I make sure the soil is very firm around them, by heeling all round the stem.

Quote from: jennym on August 25, 2005, 22:28:07
When sowing brassica seeds, you need a light tilth as usual for seeds. When the brassicas have, say, 5 or 6 leaves, that is the point at which I make sure the soil is very firm around them, by heeling all round the stem.

Thank you.

You've already broken up the soil and loosened it, all you need to do now if you're worried is rake it over. I'm assuming you don't have solid clay, in which case you may have a bit more of a problem!

Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on August 26, 2005, 10:15:37
You've already broken up the soil and loosened it, all you need to do now if you're worried is rake it over. I'm assuming you don't have solid clay, in which case you may have a bit more of a problem!

I have a clayey loam, it is quite heavy but not uber-heavy.

I think you'll be OK with a good rake in that case. I use a three-pronged cultivator for this job. Walking on the bed once doesn't usually compact it to a vast degree, it's regular walking that does it.

I would point out that commercial growers of brassicas do not bother firming the soil before or after planting (and no one direct sows anymore) but, in the course of weed control, they actually fluff the soil up with cultivators. I certainly never bother firming it.