[nannytroll]

The question teasing my poor addled brain today, is To Cover, or Not to Cover.
It's still warm enough for the weed seeds to germinate, but much too wet to hoe. I've covered in previous years and just provided a nice, warm, cosy, place for mice, moles, voles and a host of other critters to spend the winter. Any suggestions?

[goodtogrow]

If you mean, nannytroll, covering the soil with compost and poop, then I say 'no'.

If you mean covering the soil with any old rubbish that you can lay your hands on, then I say 'Yes'.

If, embracing technology, you mean covering the soil with membrane then I also say 'Yes'.

All because I'm assuming that you no-dig, but you don't want to waste the fertilizer value (however little!) in the compost and poop.

I'm also assuming that your soil is under control re weeds and that any valiant attempt by them to grow at this time of the year is not worth bothering about, but protecting the soil is, particularly if it's clay, but I don't know that, as you haven't said, so I'm assuming, again.

Tom

[nannytroll]

I was continuing on from the manure discussions. Do I cover (with cardboard or membrane) the plot I've already manured?
 3 of my 4 veg plots are on a slope, so when it's raining as persistently as today, I feel I can almost see the nutrients being washed away.   I do have a big problem with rodents, so I feel a bit stuck twixt a rock and a hard place. I suppose green manure would have been the answer?..........but tis too late for this year.

[Yorkie]

I would not bother, nannytroll.  As discussed on here, the real value in manure is the soil structure improvement rather than the nutrients.  I've never seen anyone cover up their manure with cardboard after spreading it on the soil and if it really did make that much of a difference then I think it would be far more widespread. Save yourself the trouble 

[Kirpi]

beats me where folks think their nutrients come from if it's not compost and/or manures?

[goodtogrow]

The answer's in the tub and the bag, Kirpi.

[Kirpi]

Haven't used anything out of a bag or tub for the seven years I have had the plot. Perhaps next year is when everything crashes, but I don't expect so.

Though I have decided to over-winter my compost bins this year until early spring, rather than spreading compost in late autumn to see if this helps keep nutrients in the growing areas - a good tip I thought.