[Nogger]

Hi everyone - as a fairly new allotmenteer, I need some advice wrt autumn manuring.

I've had my plot since July and now have 12 raised beds. The soil is clay and contains lots of large stones and lots of perenial weeds (ie bindweed and couchgrass). I've gone through each bed and removed as many stones and weed roots as I can. I had a full load of well rotted farmyard manure delivered last week - which has been rotting for the past year at the farm.

I need to know if now is a good time to add manure to the beds. I've done some research on the web and some people say manure in autumn and some say manure in spring - so now I'm rather confused. I'm sure there are a lot of experianced veg growers here so please could you give me some advice wrt this.

Also, would it be a good idea to leave some of the beds without manure - for growing carrots and parsnips? or should I put a little manure in these



beds as well to help with the soil structure / hummus levels?

the reason you don't manure root crops,if you do you wiil most likely get all mishaped and forked produce,for the above crops you require a good fine tilth soil, no manure
   ray

[Trillium]

I always rotovate my manure in soon as I apply it. It has a better chance of breaking down in the soil and not washing all the good stuff out. I get dryish manure from my neighbour so if I rotovate asap, it's a lot easier than if it gets wet and claggy then impossible to work in. Come spring, it just needs a rotovating fluff up unless I feel I need to add a bit more for certain veg, which also gets rotovated in.

[Bombers]

Re Manuring/Liming - Found out today, It can produce ammonia and harm any new growth.....
So don't do it!  

[Aidy]

I lime 1 month after mucking and mine is dug in wellies , seems to work for me.

[Bombers]

I lime 1 month after mucking and mine is dug in wellies , seems to work for me.

That's it then... wear a welly for safe Gardening!

[Aidy]

I knew that was going to be read wrong the moment I hit the submit button. I was also going to write that my soil is sandy so manuring in Autumn is a bit of a waste of time as most of the goodness will be washed away by spring.

[peapod]

I remember LincsPoacher giving me a long explanation, but I still cant fathom out why the goodness gets washed out not down?

Paula

[muntjac]

in -on choose whats suits you . roses like the muck on top in winter and then agin some folks chuck it on in spring ,,,,, :roll: personally i dig it in and throw it on top then rotavate the lot come spring .beans i dig trenches and fil em with muck a month afore i wanna plant em   and then brassica's like a wet feed of manure jooze when they got well established ................oh dodo just do your own fing

[gobs]

I remember LincsPoacher giving me a long explanation, but I still cant fathom out why the goodness gets washed out not down?

Paula

It just does as it's not used. It get's wasted away to the elements before it would go down.

Weeds make for better soil than barren ground. If there is no cover crop the soil gets wasted to weather, whatever you put in goes down the drain if there are no plants in there.

[peapod]

It just does as it's not used. It get's wasted away to the elements before it would go down

Thanks gobs
NOW I get it! ( and it only took one blooming sentence!)

Paula

[gobs]

Well, there is a wealth of stuff beyond that, depending on your soil and its particles, your garden's situation and weather pattern with drainage systems, but for avarage gardening purposes all soils under most circumstance will leech somewhat and most will keep somewhat.

Generally speaking the heavier, clayey soils will hold onto nutrients more and looser, sandy soils will have washed out most.

So , generally speaking, applying any type of feed, manure or whatever will be most economical and fruitful nearer planting and growing time and not at the heaviest rainy and windy season of the year.

[peapod]

Oh dear  :cry:

Then its back to Roughlee handleds pile of poo in the spring  
He'll be pleased anyway  
(and we can visit my sons adopted chicken Birdo that lives with him )

Paula