[Elcie]

Hi everyone, looking for some advice please.

I was a newbie in July last year when I got my plot.  Bought some small cauliflower, sprouts and PSB plants from the local garden centre and put them in a raised bed.

A few months on, I now know two things.  One, I planted them way too close (the sprouts have taken on a purple tinge to being too close to the PSB!) and two the caterpillars and slugs beat me (lots of holes!)

Because of a combination of the two above I haven't had anything worthwhile to eat from the bed and I'm assuming that I won't now.

My question is, should I leave the plants in the bed to suppress weed growth or are they just leaching the soil?  If I leave they look messy, if I clear I have access to chicken poop/top soil/straw mix that I can put on top of the bed.

So, clear or leave?

[peapod]

Clear it, get digging that mix in and if you want to avoid the weeds then get some weed supressant fabric or black plastic
The better the soil quality the better your plants will grow next year,plus you've learnt by mistakes made this year and can remedy it next year

Paula

[paintedlady]

Keep the PSB as it will definitely sprout in spring regardless of how tatty it looks now!!!!  Not too sure of the cauli and sprouts - perhaps you could thin them out (or even replant - it is after all, winter, so the move should not be too big a shock)