Plot52 you are doing a good job of tidying and clearing. Nice that you have a before photo.
Year one in these situations is a big effort and as much about clearing weeds as growing food. The perennial weeds are priority, so you don’t have to keep taming them for years to come.
Yes on all areas where you as yet have no beds, spread the uncomposted manure, water if the straw is dry, then cover with black polythene which is not expensive. By late May/early June you can plant squash, courgette through holes in the poly, potatoes too say first or second earlies (keep seed chitting until then) for a quick crop of them.
Above all, keep pulling any couch leaves/stems that regrow through planting holes and the beds you made, twice a week.
Also lay cardboard on the paths if couch is too much to keep pulling.
Don’t let any grow by the wooden sides, which can make it more difficult. Your aim is 100% eradication everywhere, even a bit beyond the plot edges, paths and beds, with the parent roots dead by the end of this summer I would hope.
