[jmc1949]

Having just acquired an allotment and cleared 6 raised beds and dug them over. I was going to cover them with tarpaulines to stop the goodness being leached from the soil and also keep weed growth down, until an fellow allotment holder said I shouldn't bother, as covering them will encourage slugs and other pests that may already be in the soil.  What is the correct thing to do.
Jenny

[8doubles]

A good covering of manure would be best, let the worms and the weather do the rest .

[fisher]

I sow green manure     http://www.sowseeds.co.uk/what-is-green-manure
on some our veg beds.  I chose forage peas last year as they're fairly easy to dig in before you prep the ground for sowing in spring 

[starry]

I agree with 8doubles i did cover mine at first but to be honest it didnt make a lot of difference weed wise, lovely and weed free when I first took the covers off early spring but didnt last long , and I covered one section of my plot that had been cleared ready for more beds with tarpaulin  for one year and the weeds still grew underneath ??

[jmc1949]

Thanks for the advice. Much appreciated. As our allotment site has a free supply of well rotted manure, I'll cover the beds with that.
Jenny

[Trillium]

Definitely manure or green manure; both are helpful. And the weed seeds were there anyway, just waiting for warm spring weather. No matter what you do, they'll show up in spring so better not to cover with a tarp and encourage the pest population and double your problem. 

[Salmo]

I am not a big fan of putting the allotment away for the Winter under sheeting, especially impermiable plastic that does not let any rain through. The plots emerge in the Spring clean as a whistle, dry as a bone and completly un-weathered.

Leaving the soil uncovered
- lets the Winter rains penetrate
- allows rain wind and frost to break down the soil and reduce pests
- allows birds to have access and reduce pests and weed seeds

If you wait until the soil begins to cool, about now, very few weeds will germinate over Winter. What do grow can be easily dealt with by Spring cultivations. The mistake people make is to cultivate the soil in early Autumn and then leave it. The weeds germinate in the warm soil and get well established before the Winter.

If you are adding manure why not dig it in?

[jmc1949]

Thanks once again. Definitely not going to use tarpaulines and will use manure. Please excuse my ignorance but is it more beneficial to dig it in or just put a layer on the soil.
Jenny

[Ice]

Lay it on the soil and let the worms do all the hard work.

[SkipRat]

Dont get hung up about it. Granted a certain amount of nutrients (nitrogen in particuler) get leached if you dont cover them up, but at the same time if you put a bed of manure down now while the worms may take it down a certain amount of leaching will also take place. If I,ve time i,ll put a layer of manure on now, and top up with fertilizers at planting time if I feel the rain over winter etc has been extra persistant. If i dont manage to get the manure down then it will get added in spring. Maybe more critical if you are growing show veg etc, but for the table I dont get to clinical about it.

[Trillium]

I agree with Skiprat. Either way works. I simply spread a thick layer of manure over my whole plot (except pathways) in fall and just leave it. There are other important things to tend to rather than worry whether or not to rotovate or dig it in. Come spring, I do what's needed.

Do nutrients leach away? Possibly, but not enough that I've noticed a difference. And I'd never bother going around with some sort of measuring meter  Gardening is supposed to be enjoyable, not a test of whether or not to tear out your hair (if you have any  )

[stompy]

I generally rotavate in November and spread manure around 3 to 5inch thick, then leave over the winter.

I then rotavate again in spring, level, add BFB and then rake in.
Allow 2 to 3 weeks to settle and off you go with sowings or plants  

I never cover the ground.

Simple's

[jmc1949]

Thanks again. As it's a beautiful day here in Lytham so I'm off to lottie to lay manure on the soil and leave until spring.
Jenny