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Hi
We are putting in some new raised beds that will be 2 foot night. We are following this approach
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XrIldkX7nHc

So basically there will be a out 12 inches of hot/ fresh manure with ten inches of soil on top

As there is a fir depth of material on top of the original damp soil...do we need to dig over and remove perennial weeds before laying the manure.

I'm wondering if the hot manure will remove need for this as scalding/ heating ground plus the depth of material

Good video. With that depth of material I think you'd be fine without digging/weeding first. A few would probably still grow through, but weakened and not too difficult to weed out by hand. If you have it, a thick layer of cardboard/newspaper underneath the manure should help as well.

Fantastic. I've just dug over a heavy couch infested area, so a bit of energy saving is very welcome.

I'd ordered the chap in the videos book ( excellent) but it has gone walkabout. I suspect other half has it in his car for lunchtime break at work :)

Good luck with it ... I tried again this year with a dud batch of "fresh" manure which looked great but failed to produce a single bit of heat for me.  Spent hops on their own were much more active!

Squeezyjohn...you have made my day. I can get spent hops every week, so I now have a plan. I'd assumed they wouldn't be as effective as manure.

We have a horse field beside us with as much manure as we want but it's looking not very "fresh" . I think with bad weather the horse owners haven't been collecting the fresh stuff off the field.

Quote from: Hector on March 25, 2016, 15:11:25
Fantastic. I've just dug over a heavy couch infested area, so a bit of energy saving is very welcome.

I'd ordered the chap in the videos book ( excellent) but it has gone walkabout. I suspect other half has it in his car for lunchtime break at work :)

a chap on or site swears by tomato plants to keep the couch at bay not sure if it works but he swears  by it

Johnny,
That's interesting. Where are very breezy here, so never grown toms outside.
I read on a forum last week that some folks think turnip has same effect. I'm not sure if they meant turnip...as in orange flesh one...or the white flesh one.

In Scotland we call the orange one turnip...but round here folk call that swede!
I am never ever letting veg plot go again. We didn't touch it for 18 months due to illness and seeing couch take over where we grafted to get it weed free before...not a nice feeling :)

Is fresh cow muck a good sub....I've always worried it might be too strong?

Quote from: Hector on March 25, 2016, 18:20:30
Johnny,
That's interesting. Where are very breezy here, so never grown toms outside.
I read on a forum last week that some folks think turnip has same effect. I'm not sure if they meant turnip...as in orange flesh one...or the white flesh one.

In Scotland we call the orange one turnip...but round here folk call that swede!
I am never ever letting veg plot go again. We didn't touch it for 18 months due to illness and seeing couch take over where we grafted to get it weed free before...not a nice feeling :)

Is fresh cow muck a good sub....I've always worried it might be too strong?

not sure about cow muck dint get many on this part of the east coast but give the outdoor toms a go i think you ll be pleasantly surprised

If you enrich the spent hops with as much fresh-ish manure as you can get and activate it with fresh urine (supply your own!) - it will heat up a treat.  Doesn't last quite as long as a traditional bed made with fresh straw horse manure is supposed to - but much easier to get hold of!

I do not think that many weeds will come through 12 inches of manure,  but I do think that it is enough to heat up for very long.  Have you insulated the sides of the raised bed? I used two strawbales so they were more than 12 inches.  You also need a supply of air keep the heat coming.  I would suggest the full two feet of the hops with the plants in pots on top insulated round the sides.

I did a hot bed a couple of years ago and it did ok but you need to insulated the plants from the first flush of heat and they need extra watering.   I had some nice early strawberries.

Digeroo, thanks for that. We are using straw as insulation between beds.
How did you best assure air intake/flow? Some folk mention using aerated pipes through layers, others seem to think as long as you incorporate own content it will stop compaction?
Hadn't thought of pots for initial burst...thanks for that.

Squeezyjohn.....we have been self-watering.. My fruit tea intake has gone up....

Johnnyco15. I have sowed a few too many tomatoes, so will be attempting outdoor toms...I've always been worried about blight and the wind here...will give it a go.

Quote from: Hector on March 27, 2016, 09:47:34
Digeroo, thanks for that. We are using straw as insulation between beds.
How did you best assure air intake/flow? Some folk mention using aerated pipes through layers, others seem to think as long as you incorporate own content it will stop compaction?
Hadn't thought of pots for initial burst...thanks for that.

Squeezyjohn.....we have been self-watering.. My fruit tea intake has gone up....

Johnnyco15. I have sowed a few too many tomatoes, so will be attempting outdoor toms...I've always been worried about blight and the wind here...will give it a go.

the trick is not to plant them close together the wind may well be your friend keeping the plants well vented here in clacton i only grow outdoor toms never put them in the greenhouse have far too many cucumbers peppers and chillis for that lol

Johhnyco15 I have a bit of a chilli obsession and I'm trying two new cucumbers this year, so will go for it as space would be welcome.

this year all these will go outside super sweet 100 ,idle,red pear.sungold,red cherry,golden cherry,principe borghese gardeners delight,tigerella ,alicante,moneymaker,tamina,fandango,mountain magic ,Cuore di Bue, brandywine country taste ailsa crieg and yellow stuffer and all outside no prob hope this helps