[Shambayango]

To cover a 160 cm square bed, if I wanted to adopt the "No dig" method?

[Subversive_plot]

Hello Shambayango

That math problem can be easily solved, if we have a value for another variable.

A square 160 cm on each side = 160 x 160 cm = 25,600 sq cm.  That area is equal to 3.0617 sq yards.

The missing variable is depth.  How deep do you want the compost to be? If you want the compost one third of a meter (33.3 cm) deep, that area gives you 852,480 cubic centimeters.  Equal to 1.115 cubic yards. 

You can use a number of unit conversion phone apps or internet conversion tools to re-calculate that cubic yard volume into volumetric units that are useful for you (liters or gallons for example).

[snowdrops]

Great reply sub, since I practice no dig my advice would be from that picture that since it is clear you don’t need cardboard and the depth of compost would need to be 2 or 3inches deep, more if you can afford it.

[Hampshire Hog]

Great calculations from Sub. My simple proposal would be to buy two or three standard large bags of compost put them on the bed and see whether you want more depth. This assumes you have transport and a convenient garden centre. The other considerations are what type of veg you are growing some will need a deeper depth than others. Good luck !

[Snow]

As much as you want basically. Once a bed is established with no weeds the general rule is 2.5cm (1 inch) yearly, so in your case would be 64 litres. However if the bed is lacking in organic matter, add more to begin with if you can so for snowdrops suggestion either 128litres or 192 litres.

I've been doing no dig for a few years now and don't need to add more than an inch a year, although I have added some more if I have it when for example I follow potatoes with leeks or plant something like celeriac which appreciates more moisture and nutrients than most veg

[snowdrops]

And of course here in England as long as it is well rotted mulch, be it homemade compost,manure,mushroom waste, composted green waste it doesn’t need to be bought potting compost in bags etc, butifthats all you can get that’s fine just puts the cost up. It just needs to be well rotted so as not to encourage slug& snail habitation etc. Even for carrots & parsnips as it won’t be dug in which traditionally was advised not todo in the parsnip& carrot bed to avoid them forking.

[Blewit]

You have 2.56 square metres. Some years back I covered a 5 x 1 metre onion bed with a 60 litre bag of shop bought compost. It was a bit thin but it worked and convinced me to go no-dig on the whole allotment.

[Shambayango]

Hello Shambayango

That math problem can be easily solved, if we have a value for another variable.

A square 160 cm on each side = 160 x 160 cm = 25,600 sq cm.  That area is equal to 3.0617 sq yards.

The missing variable is depth.  How deep do you want the compost to be? If you want the compost one third of a meter (33.3 cm) deep, that area gives you 852,480 cubic centimeters.  Equal to 1.115 cubic yards. 

You can use a number of unit conversion phone apps or internet conversion tools to re-calculate that cubic yard volume into volumetric units that are useful for you (liters or gallons for example).

I forgot to say that we normally dig this bed over and have used it since 2017 to grow vegetables in.  This year it's the greedy crops, butternut squash and we're trying the mini sweet corn and maybe some dwarf beans between the squash.  So a depth of, say 15 cm would be enough I would think.  Over last Winter we covered the bed with autumn leaves and let them rot down.

[Subversive_plot]

Hello Shambayango

That math problem can be easily solved, if we have a value for another variable.

A square 160 cm on each side = 160 x 160 cm = 25,600 sq cm.  That area is equal to 3.0617 sq yards.

The missing variable is depth.  How deep do you want the compost to be? If you want the compost one third of a meter (33.3 cm) deep, that area gives you 852,480 cubic centimeters.  Equal to 1.115 cubic yards. 

You can use a number of unit conversion phone apps or internet conversion tools to re-calculate that cubic yard volume into volumetric units that are useful for you (liters or gallons for example).

I forgot to say that we normally dig this bed over and have used it since 2017 to grow vegetables in.  This year it's the greedy crops, butternut squash and we're trying the mini sweet corn and maybe some dwarf beans between the squash.  So a depth of, say 15 cm would be enough I would think.  Over last Winter we covered the bed with autumn leaves and let them rot down.

It sounds like half a cubic yard would do it then.

Best of luck to you with the squash!

[snowdrops]

You could always make a mound of manure in ‘spots’ around the bed as well & plant the squash into the mound to boost the fertility as they are heavy feeders

[Shambayango]

You have 2.56 square metres. Some years back I covered a 5 x 1 metre onion bed with a 60 litre bag of shop bought compost. It was a bit thin but it worked and convinced me to go no-dig on the whole allotment.

Thank you for all your replies.  We have 4 bags (50 litres each)  of reduced peat compost, as that's all we could get.  They had bags of smelly manure and, as we've only ever used blended manure in the past, I thought of getting some of that.  It might be a good idea to get a couple of bags and spread this over the bed in late September and then leave it to break down and get worked in by the worms.  There is one snag though, we always get a lot of rain in October so if I did this, could I then cover it with plastic?

[snowdrops]

No need to cover with plastic, the old adage of the nutrients leaching out is a myth I believe

[Shambayango]

You could always make a mound of manure in ‘spots’ around the bed as well & plant the squash into the mound to boost the fertility as they are heavy feeders

We were toying with the idea of buying a bag of manure, but it smelled so smelly so I'm making do with chicken pellets and blood and bone meal.

When we had an allotment, we grew butternut squash and got around 50 squash on, I think, 5 plants.  The photo shows some of them having been washed.  We cut them up, spread them on trays and put them in our deep freeze and, when they had frozen, we put them into individual freezer bags.  They freeze well and you can just pop them direct into the steamer from frozen.