[alison77]

Hi,
I am a new allotment owner.
I have cleared alot of cooch grass and nettles from the plot.
I have been adding manure.
My seed packets, keep talking about a fine tilth (!) which at this stage I find a complete joke!
I have been using a rake, and a sieve to try and get the soil to a fine tilth (!)
Is there something I can buy that isnt a rotivator, as the beds are not big enough for one or do I just need to add a layer of top soil? and dig that in eventually?!
The soil isnt that bad, maybe I am just to used to houseplants.......!

One more thing, I have charlotte potatos, I think that means they are earlies? Do I plant them now? Under black plastic with a hole in and a poly tunnel over the top?

Any info would be gladly received!

[arugula]

Hi and welcome. I've moved your questions to the grow your own board where they may be viewed by a wider audience, but please feel free to pop back into Welcome to tell us a bit more about yourself.

[simonwatson]

You're going to struggle to get to a fine tilth with the weather we've had so far this year. The soil is so wet that it won't break apart. I wouldn't do anything yet and wait until we get more reasonable weather to see what you've really got. If you've only just dug in the manure that'll take a little while to fully incorporate anyway.

Early, second early and maincrop are more about how long they take to mature, not when to plant them. They all go in about the same time of year. It'a a little cool now and they don't like frost at all. It depends on how far north you are but here in Newcastle Upon Tyne I won't be planting mine for a couple of weeks yet.

You can grow them through plastic, but the plastic makes a great home for slugs and snails. Earthing up does the same job. You can grow in a poly tunnel to get an earlier/quicker crop, but then you'll have to water them manually.

[crh75]

You don't say where you are so this may not be the case... I think it is far too early and cold to be sowing anything outside yet.  When it warms up and hopefully drys out a bit the soil will work into a fine tith much easier. 

Also you don't say what you want to sow, I find a lot of things easiest to start in pots then plant out.  You do mention potatoes which I think actually prefer and lumpier soil as they get more air.