[mickeyboy]

Hi all i have 3 raised beds, all empty at the mo. they measure 3.5mx1.5x1.2 deep, had the best crop i have ever had this year!!

I was just wondering what to do with the beds over winter. i was thinking of covering them with black plastic til im ready to plant or whether to add any soil improveres as my soil is quite good anyway..

Any suggestions welcomed.

I have 3 different soils in each bed loam in 1, which i intened to do carrots and salad this year in the second its fairly sandy which i intened to grow chillis in this year and another loamy bed which i intened to do my onions and leeks in this year due to crop rotation.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Mickeyboy
Does this sound ok?

[mickeyboy]

Anyone?

[tode]

All depends on what's available round your way, Mickey.  It's always a good idea to add organic matter every year:  compost, manure, leaf-mold . . .

I'm not a fan of covering with plastic: I prefer to leave the ground open to the action of frost and bug-picking birds, even if there's a few weeds come Spring.

[aelf]

covering with plastic creates a lovely warm(ish), damp home for slugs, snails and other nasties like spores, mildew, blight etc to overwinter, safe from the frosts . On the other hand, covering with plastic stops the heavy rain from leaching out the goodness in your soil.

take your pick... 

[Aunt Sally]

Keep them hoed over winter to allow the rain to drain away and the air to get into the soil.

If you feel you must cover them use black weed suppressant fabric rather than polythene.

[mickeyboy]

thanks i think the hoe may well be the way to go

[tode]

Auntie: what exactly is your reindeer doing with that garland ? ? ? ? ?

[stentman]

thanks i think the hoe may well be the way to go

With the festive season upon us what better time to hoe hoe hoe

I'll get my coat

[sunshineband]

I've put compost from the bins over a lot of the empty ground to protect the surface of the soil, and hope the worms mix it in for me  about 4 ins thick

I'll cover the rest with plastic about a month before I want to sow anything to warm it up /dry it out

Werks fer me 

[mickeyboy]

thanks i think the hoe may well be the way to go

With the festive season upon us what better time to hoe hoe hoe

I'll get my coat

hat, gloves, and a brolly also with the weather we have been having lately

[mickeyboy]

I've put compost from the bins over a lot of the empty ground to protect the surface of the soil, and hope the worms mix it in for me  about 4 ins thick

I'll cover the rest with plastic about a month before I want to sow anything to warm it up /dry it out

Werks fer me 
[/quote
Thats what i was thinking of doing. Roughly what month would you cover with plastic or is this weather dependant?
Cheers

[sunshineband]

Weather dependent to some extent but I like to get some ground covered up in mid Janaury so that it can dry out enough to sow in, and last year I also out a long cloche over one bed as well to really get it warm.

Come February I can then sow early carrots like Amsterdam forcing and radishes (which we love) as well as some successionals like salad leaves by the beginning of March.. and then away we go 

[mickeyboy]

Weather dependent to some extent but I like to get some ground covered up in mid Janaury so that it can dry out enough to sow in, and last year I also out a long cloche over one bed as well to really get it warm.

Come February I can then sow early carrots like Amsterdam forcing and radishes (which we love) as well as some successionals like salad leaves by the beginning of March.. and then away we go 

thanks for that i shall give it a go and a bit of a hoe up til then. thanks