Plot33
I’ve done similar to you in our garden and had similar results. I’ve not used it on all beds, but putting down around now for a spring potato planting works well, fresh stuff in autumn over Asparagus beds and rhubarb/comfrey bed also gives great yields.
I”m trying a second experiment this year in putting leaves on top of the bed due to sow parsnip, carrot and onions in the spring. I did a small mini-experiment this year and created a great topsoil for sowing into this way.
I had very good pak choi and spinach sown after 2nd early potatoes (which were grown after over-wintered manure on top), but the turnips sown in the next row were rather too leafy and roots rather too small, whereas growing turnips after kale and beetroot on soil treated 18 months previously with manure was better. No idea why……
Fruit crops did very well with well-rotted manure laid down in February (plum, cherry and pear) – yes it was a great year for fruit, but clearly the manure mulch didn’t harm that.
Compost has done very well for over-wintered cabbage, garlic, leek, beans, celery and parsnip. Onions did fine with nothing added after potatoes grown on over-wintered horse manure mulch.
We all live and learn……..