Growing on top of no dig beds

[Sausage]

Can you store things on top of no dig beds when they’re not in use?

I met a new neighbour who’s just started a no dig bed in his small back garden (he’s 79, it’s absolute proof it’s never too late to start something new!) It was formerly full of persistent perennial weeds like bindweed and after getting them all out he mulched 5″ of manure and green waste. It’s so recently cleared he doesn’t feel confident enough to plant anything there over winter and is just keeping it covered with plastic until next spring. It is only a very small garden and he still needs somewhere to put some of the autumn sowings and plantings like garlic, shallots, broad beans, kale etc. He will probably grow those in vegetable planters from B&Q, the ones that look like tubs made out of woven plastic tarpaulins.

His question was would it be all right if he put those planters on top of the plastic-covered new bed? It’s a very small garden so he doesn’t really have other options to overwinter vegetables. But I wondered if keeping them on the no dig bed would just encourage slugs?

[charles]

Well he could put the planters on top, and that might lead to slugs underneath.
If it was me I would plant into the bed, save a lot of work. It’s ready to grow.
Great to be starting this age 79, nice you are helping too.

[Author]

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