Thanks Charles,
Nice to read what you said about the brussel sprouts, mine looked a bit stunned and not doing anything at the moment. However I am getting loads of fantastic leaves, tomatoes are flowering and growing, my pumpkins, squash are producing well. They are starting to walk at a rapid rate! Slug population down.
I am in my first year of no dig on the field allotment site. due to low funds have opted for just manure. I put massive amounts of well rotted manure ( as per Charles recommendations)on my beds direct on to cardboard on grass. I have found there is actually lot of moisture underneath the crispy first layer of manure when I planed out some winter brassicas last night.
Have heard there are some thunderstorms around hope they arrive here in Somerset for a good soak.