[fatcat1955]

I have a an area 0f 5mts x 10mts which has not been dug for ages, it is like concrete. I have access to an unlimited supply of manure which is well rotted. Should i put the manure on this area and cover with membrane now or wait to the autumn and do it then?

[Lardman]

You could cover with pooh and plastic, cut some holes an plant squash there. Saves the space going to waste.

Personally I'd fork it over and scatter some green manure seeds, something with a decent root system to help break things up a bit. Then turn it in and cover with manure in the autumn.

[fatcat1955]

What do you suggest i turn it over with? A JCB (only joking) It really is like concrete. So i thought spread the manure now and hopefully the worms will soften it up for the autumn dig.

[mumofstig]

no good covering with plastic as it wouldn't let the rain through to soften it(fingers crossed)...only cover with membrane as you said in your post

If you really can't get a fork in then that seems a good sensible option to me

[Lardman]

What do you suggest i turn it over with? A JCB (only joking) ...

Have you tied a mattock ? You don't say what the soil type is but it may just be that theres a hard crust baked on it from the recent weather.

no good covering with plastic as it wouldn't let the rain through ...

Sorry MoS - you're right, Pooh and Plastic just sounds better in my head than Pooh and Membrane. 

[Ian_P]

A mattock, pickaxe or spade. Anything but not a fork if it really is hard. Just do what you can to turn it over. If the top stays as hard as it is the worms will have no chance of dragging your manure down to do its job.

[digalotty]

have you tried soaking it for a couple of days first  :)it may soften it up

[mobilekat]

Sounds like a pneumatic drill may be needed!!!

The good side may be that no weeds have survived!

[peterjf]

hi , you need to dig it over a full spade / fork depth,

round up or other weed killer if nessasary

lay 3-4 inches of manure in late autumn,

rotovate in early spring

[fatcat1955]

Maybe i didnt make myself clear enough. It cannot be dug with any hand tool whatsoever.I was asking, should i spread the manure now and cover it with a permeable membrane in the hope that by the autumn the worms (it has thousands in it) will work down into the soil making it easier to dig. Or should i wait till the autumn when(hopefully it is diggable and spread the manure then

[peterjf]

autumn gets my vote

[SUTTY1]

fatcat i'd go for it. Spread the manure and cover with membrane but water it a bit if you dont get rain. By autumn/early winter it will be much easier to dig.

P.S. i only said easier but thats the way i'd go

[greenun]

Meself I would spead it, water it and cover with 3" of mulch and let the worms do the work

[Rampant_Weasel]

im with greenum
chuck loads on, see how it is in autumn, if u can dig it and then chuck some more on top.
bet u a fiver it will be ideal in the spring

[zazen999]

I wouldn't use plastic or membrane for this job myself!

I'd put cardboard over it, a couple of layers; then the manure. then just leave it.

We did this over the clay in our lottie [it was subsoil, no topsoil to be seen - and thick thick hard clay] - although we didn't use manure we just used the cardboard and weighed it down with clods of clay, and after a few months it was digable. By spring, the cardboard had mostly rotted down, and the worms had taken most of it right down.

If you do it in the beds you want to grow in, and not on the paths that you want to walk on - then you won't even have to dig it in the spring. Just add another layer of cardboard over the top, water it or leave the rain to soften it a bit [overnight if a heavy rainfall] and then, using a bulb planter, you can plant straight through. Potaotes are fab for this, as well as module sown brassicas, corn, beans, peas; I could go on. Not carrots or parsnips though!