[wendycas]

Hi
Happy New Year everyone! 
I've heard that the firmer the soil, the better sprouts and other brassicas grow. We have some undug beds that have been covered for well over a year with tarpaulins. Would it be feasible to add some manure on the surface and then in spring plant the sprouts on a membrane to stop the weeds coming back? We were just thinking that this heavy clay soil is certainly firm but would it be too firm for the roots to grow??
Thanks

[New shoot]

There are a few folk on here that garden using the no-dig method who will be along to offer advice, but they usually pile organic matter on top of undug soil and make lasagne beds to grow in.

If lasagne beds are not what you are after, I would say dig and incorporate manure as you go, then tread back down before planting the sprouts.  My plot is clay as well and I find that it compacts into a lifeless mass if covered for any length of time 

[LilacSandy]

Hi Wendycas,

Has the ground been prepared as a no dig area?  If it is just a piece of ground that has been covered to smother the weeds then you will probably just have compacted clay underneath.  Yes, Brassicas like a firm root run but the soil needs to be able to breathe.

[Kristen]

In my crop rotation I plant Brassicas after Beans, and after cutting the bean plants down in Autumn I spread manure on the surface, leave it for the winter, and then plant the Brassicas direct into it.  I find that that is not firm enough, even though I don't generally dig the beds at all, and the buttons have not been as firm as the first couple of years after the bed was converted from rough grass to a veg patch, so I am thinking I may have to make it much firmer (perhaps staking the plants would be the solution ...)

[Ema]

I'm going to try my brassicas in un dug beds this year - I just won't have time to dig the whole plot over

[wendycas]

Hi
Thank you for your replies and advice-it's much appreciated. The beds have not been prepared in any way-just covered to stop weeds coming back. Other beds we have dug near to them have been really heavy clay and they've needed a few years worth of crops and manure to make them lighter....so the worry is that the soil may be too heavy to let roots through. Hmm.....
If we uncovered them now and let the weather at them (putting manure on in early spring) would the frost break the soil up at all or is that only when you dig it over or at least 'slab' it?
Thanks again!  :happy:

[New shoot]

It depends how heavy your soil is, but from my experience, digging is essential to get some air into clay soil. 

Frost will break it down a bit, but it needs really to be broken down into small lumps and organic matter incorporated.  Big slabs won't crumble in frost and if it dries out like that, you will really struggle to do anything with it.

Having said that, even though your soil has been covered, it is likely to be sodden at the moment, so I wouldn't even attempt to do anything just yet.  Clay soil does get to a point where it is moist, but not wet and that's the moment to pick.  Let it dry a while and then try a test spadefull or two until you get there 

[seedman]

Hi Nows the the time for the manure, as brassicas  in general dont like fresh manured ground. Dig it now manure it beautiful veg in the summer,

[wendycas]

Hi
Thanks again for your advice. I think we will dig it (-if we keep on with this dry spell, that is!) and put manure on now or use a bed that's already prepared with muck on and walk on it before planting.

Does anyone stake their sprouts? The reason I'm asking all this is that last year we had blown sprouts because some of the plants were leaning over.
Cheers

[New shoot]

If your sprouts were rocked by windy weather and their roots were pulled out a bit, that would make them blow, so staking would be a good idea.

If you dig your so-far fallow beds there are a few things I have grown in very heavy soil in its first year of working.  Kestral potatoes seem to cope and help break the clay up a bit more.  If you have compost to dig into patches to make some more fertile areas, pumpkins and squash are OK as well and I have grown some of the more resiliant greens like perpetual spinich with good results.

It is hard work at first with clay, but it does come good after being worked for a while and reward you with good crops 

[compostqueen]

In my experience brassicas do very well in undug soil so long as it's free draining. Tip a bucket of water there and if it drains away quick then you'll be fine.  I make a hole with a bulb planter and then pop the brassica in.  A comfrey leaf underneath it will feed it til it gets going.  They are heavy feeders so make sure you give it a regular feed of manure water or manure pellets etc

[wendycas]

Thanks again for advice. We've uncovered the beds today to let the weather at them and we're going to try the free-draining test on them in a few days when they've dried out a bit.
Cheers!