[Russell Atterbury]

I have collected quite a bit of cardboard, that I first intended to use over a patch of lawn, to give an extra veggie bed. But it has dawned on me that I just won't have enough manure/compost to cover it, because I desperately need to enrich the garden I already have. So my question to anyone who could advise me, is: If I delay the making of my lawn patch until later, could I put a thick layer of cardboard down, covered with some months rotted cow manure, over my existing garden that requires enrichment. Would worms do the job of taking it all down, and would it be best to do this in October/November, when my garden will be over for now. Or would it be best to do it in, say February/ March. Beginner question again folks?

[Ema]

I wouldn’t bother with the cardboard on an existing veg patch unless you are not going to weed it first

[mumofstig]

Put the layer of cardboard over the manure, to keep any warmth in and stop the rain from leaching the nitrogen out - whatever - it'll all rot down, if you've got no other use for it 

The site's info is here,  https://www.allotment-garden.org/composts-fertilisers/mulching-cardboard-grass-clippings/

[Russell Atterbury]

mumofstig, because my basic soil problem in the garden is water retention as well as low nutrient. Do you think it would be ok to put like 3 or layers of cardboard on top of the manure, and also if you could tell me when you think it best to do the job, like fall or spring.

[mumofstig]

If I had enough cardboard to do 3 layers, I would put some under and some over the manure 
I've always added cardboard in the Autumn, but you'll need to weigh it down with wood or stones at first to  stop it blowing around.

[hasbeans]

Can you get pelleted chicken manure where you are?  Scattering that around your existing garden will start the enrichment process and should be relatively cheap.  For your new veg patch, if you have semi rotten compost you could move it onto the patch to finish composting in situ, with the manure?  The last bed I made I did this with a load of rotting wood and it seemed to work well and made more room on the compost heap.  Look up Hugelkultur online will tell you all you need to know.

[Russell Atterbury]

Thanks to hasbeans and mumofstig, pelleted chicken manure is not available, but I have a source for the real stuff that will be coming soon by the occasional  sackful. I already have 3 good half sacks of quite aged quail manure, that the guy told me was even better than chicken. And of coarse the cow manure is with me also, up to now about 20 sacks, but I would estimate that it would only be about 3/4 cubic yard, maybe more?. In December, like every year there will be a good 3 or 4 cubic yards of leaf litter, which till now I have composted down, but like many of you gardeners, it seems to me no matter how much I end up with, it gets used quickly for polyhouse pots and little remains for doing the garden good. Maybe this year I can use a layer of not rotted leaf somewhere. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated, as I have no idea how best to use my resources.

[snowdrops]

Since I do no dig I’d advise you to put some cardboard down on your ground that needs enriching & put all the manure & vegetation waste mixed together on the top of it all mixed up to rot down over the winter in one big heap. It will rot faster, cover it with more cardboard if you can, turn it every few weeks if you can to move the outside stuff in to the middle & the inner to the outside. If you have lots of cardboard apply it to any areas you can but as mum says weigh it down well, the worms will start to take it down as it gets wet & starts to rot. In early spring apply more cardboard & use the now reasonably well rotted manure on as much an area as you can. Then start a new heap & so on .

[Russell Atterbury]

Snowdrops, when you talk about laying cardboard with a heap of mixed manure and leaf litter etc, piled on top. Could you just clarify for me, if you mean this is piled on top, but flattened out, with more layers of cardboard to cover. No doubt a good soaking for all layers of cardboard also.

[snowdrops]

I’d leave the leaf litter out & turn that into its own leaf mould , but yes create a compost heap on some cardboard mixing everything else you’ve got, then cover with more cardboard to keep in the heat. Make sure the heap is neither too wet or dry, add water if dry, Browns aka torn up cardboard if wet & you’ll soon have black gold 

[snowdrops]

The bigger the heap the quicker it rots, but in reality unless you have tons of material, in which case you’d need a digger, 3 or 4 foot high is about all you can get it before it falls over & becomes unmanageable.

[greenjay]

the last few  years i   have covered the  ground   as it becomes vacant and cover with cardboard with either fym or my own  compost from the heap. i make   sure i use  fym   where the potatoes are to go. i find that  sometimes there is volunteer potatoes in my own compost. This  makes    the ground much    easier to prepare in the spring. this year i have a source of  wool which  i am going to use. not   sure in which  order?  any   experience ?