[Stilldigging]

Hi all, I took over a weed laden plot at the end of November 2023 in Bournemouth
Dug over the whole plot through the winter and hubby was able to get 4 raised beds built, planted potatoes, onions, garlic, broad beans, peas, cauliflowers and broccoli. None grown from seed, all were plants.The strawberries/raspberries were hiding amongst the weeds so I managed to salvage them.
As I have  nothing to harvest for the winter apart from leeks, I’m asking for advise on how to best prepare the soil for next years crops.i also have 4 new additional raised beds which have minimal soil in so they will need filling up with?
We also have a couple of families of pheasants which have enjoyed the fruit and plenty of rats 🙄
Thanks in advance for the advise

[New shoot]

Hi and welcome 

If you have empty raised beds over the winter, you could cover them to keep them weed free.  It is quite common practise and makes it much easier in the spring to just lightly fork the surface over before planting or sowing.

As for the half empty ones, it is worth looking locally and/or asking your plot neighbours to see what you can buy in bulk as it is much cheaper that way.  On my allotment site we have someone who will deliver big white dumpy bags of what they call mix and mulch, which I think is composted horse bedding and stable manure.  People dig it in or just put a thick layer down and then cover. 

[Stilldigging]

Thankyou for the reply. There’s a few farms around the site so will ask the other plot holders

[steven c]

I have found that most stables with let you have manure for free if you collect  the trouble I have found is the manure is not well rotted enough this year I covered raised [no dig] beds with half rotted manure and left to overwinter by the time we planted out they seemed ok.  good luck.

[Hampshire Hog]

Those empty beds need filling with compost with or without manure.
One option for a bed designed for beans would be to dig a trench in the middle and fill it with manure and then cover with compost or just the soil removed from the trench. Unless the manure is very fresh it will have matured over the winter and be ready to give your beans a good start next season. Covering the beds in the winter is quite common too. One rational to leave uncovered would be if you have a heavy soil that you have dug and you need the frost etc to breakdown the lumps. Good luck HH