[pigeonpie]

Hi, 
Having moved up to the Outer Hebrides a little over two years ago I'm finally getting ready to start getting our ground ready for some planting.  Up until now I've been growing everything in big tubs, and some re-purposed pontoon floats! 

However, we hope to soon be buy the extra land that we wanted and get on with more serious growing plans.  Our soil is pretty much pure peat in the area that I'm hoping to use for growing.  Much of it is very seriously waterlogged, but we plan to re-instate the lazy bed systems as used in the past (similar to ridge and furrow, with a flat growing area on the top, offering good drainage depths around the sides).
 
I am aware that a great deal of the nutrients may well have been washed away and killed by such poor drainage, and so have a plan to work the ground this year, but not to use it for planting until at least next year so I can focus on improving the soil and it's structure. 

Once the drainage is sorted, I'm thinking of digging in a load of unrotted horse manure with hay and straw and wondered what you thought?  I know that in an ideal world I would allow it to rot first (which I will do with another load, ready for correct usage later this year), but am thinking that I need to get something in to break up the soil and aerate it.  As said I won't be using it for planting until next growing season, so don't need to worry about it scorching plants, and to a degree leaching any nitrogen as I will be continuing to feed it with properly rotted nitrogen rich compost and seaweed as the year progresses.  I will also probably use some calcified seaweed to bring down the PH level. 

So, what do you think?  Am I mad to even think it?  Do you have any other suggestions? 

[New shoot]

I have a plot on heavy clay soil and when I first started, some of the old boys would dig in straw and manure  to lighten the soil and get some air in.  They did used to stack some, but also used it like this, fresh from the farm as it came.  The following year they grew marrows on top of that patch.  It seemed to be part of a fairly regimented plan they had and they all grew the same crops every year, but you can always adapt these things to your own ends.

It is not quite the same as you have, but a similar idea.  Are there old boys near you that you could consult about how to get your lazy beds back in good form? 

[Goosegirl]

Last June we went on a cruise around your area including Stornoway and it was so beautiful but wild as well. I've never gardened on acid soil so I'd certainly use gardeners lime, calcified seaweed, kelp or whatever you can find because the alginates in seaweed will help to raise the pH to an acceptable level. My only concern is that peat results from un-decayed plant material and is like a sponge as you say.
Could you make a raised bed by making a trench and digging down about a foot or more so you can see what lies beneath and what drainage there is if any. Get some decent topsoil then fork over the bottom of the trench and back-fill with a mix of two thirds soil and one third peat to give it some heart. As for the manure, I'm not sure whether that will help or hinder but others on here will know I'm sure.

[pigeonpie]

Thanks for your replies.
I'm thinking of doing a bit of both using sections of lazy beds as a whole growing area, and then creating some smaller raised bed areas as well.  My theory is that veg that don't mind a nice heavy ground, and have traditionally been grown here, like kale, swede, and potatoes can go in the larger areas of lazy beds.  Then I can create smaller raised bed areas, with more finely tuned soil, for things like carrots and parsnips.     
I was hoping that by creating some more drainage channels across the lazy beds to separate growing areas, the lazy beds would then do their jobs of draining the soil properly, before I start digging it over as much as I can this year, incorporating lots of muck, seaweed, etc.
Sadly no one really grows much up here any more, and the knowledge and skills seem to have been lost in the last generation.  Most of the people who do grow stuff do so in polycrubs (which I do intend to have as well - more discussion on that to come!) and swear that it's almost impossible to grow stuff outside.  I have so far proved them wrong by growing a good selection of veg, although it is in a fairly sheltered area and in containers.  I also know that crops were grown here in the past so refuse to believe that they won't grow, but think it's more that with the introduction of supermarkets people people stopped putting the hard work in that is clearly needed to grow in such a difficult climate. 
And yes Goosegirl that's exactly how I'd describe it up here - wild but beautiful!

[rowlandwells]

for what its worth I do the same as New shoot is saying I spread straw and horse manure all over one plot and I found it keeps the ground open and it cultivates well and we seem to get less weeds?

although because of the wet weather I haven't yet spread the horse and straw mix hopefully this week 

[snowdrops]

I’d just be careful of unrotted mulches harbouring slugs a.l.a Charles Dowding recommendations of using composted mulches in an effort to reduce slug hideaways etc. But if that is all you have at this time go for it & do regular slug hunts.

[pigeonpie]

That's a good point about slugs Snowdrops.  Maybe once we get our ducks (hopefully a bit later in the year) I'll let them have a free for all on the veg patch and see if they can help with any introduced slugs!

Rowlandwells - do you mean that you spread unrotted manure?  Have you noticed any reduction in the nitrogen content, or other minerals needed for growing?   

[rowlandwells]

I had years of soil capping that meant the ground became hard and cracking in mid summer tried all manner of things to improve this even went to a garden seminar but nobody could give me a real answer how to get over this problem then I struck on the idea of spreading horse manure mixed with  straw over the plot and although this manure mix wasn't a year old

it did the trick stopped the capping made cultivation better had a good crop of main crop potatoes and onions broad beans runner beans all grew and cropped well

and this year is no different as I said its been to wet to spread the manure mix but hopefully within the next day or two we will be spreading this mix all over the plot then hopefully if ground starts to dry up I will plough in the manure ready to plant our seed potatoes

[Yorkie]

I've never gardened on acid soil so I'd certainly use gardeners lime, calcified seaweed, kelp or whatever you can find because the alginates in seaweed will help to raise the pH to an acceptable level.

GG has highlighted my initial concern, which was the pH level of the growing medium.  Make sure to do a test so you know what you're doing with the pH level of the beds you end up with.

[snowdrops]

I had years of soil capping that meant the ground became hard and cracking in mid summer tried all manner of things to improve this even went to a garden seminar but nobody could give me a real answer how to get over this problem then I struck on the idea of spreading horse manure mixed with  straw over the plot and although this manure mix wasn't a year old

it did the trick stopped the capping made cultivation better had a good crop of main crop potatoes and onions broad beans runner beans all grew and cropped well

and this year is no different as I said its been to wet to spread the manure mix but hopefully within the next day or two we will be spreading this mix all over the plot then hopefully if ground starts to dry up I will plough in the manure ready to plant our seed potatoes

This is in essence what no dig gardening is, & one of the benefits that is highlighted is that the soil doesn’t cap