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Hi Charles
Last summer I created 4 rectangular no-dig veg beds (no sides) in the field next to our house in a very weedy corner, lots of dock, nettle and thistle. I have used 18″ of well rotted horse manure direct on top of the soil. I presume this will be adequate to stop weed regrowth? The beds have been sitting all winter and the manure has sunk down quite a bit. I’m now planning what to grow and have a few questions!
To rake or not to rake – the tops of the beds are quite lumpy, do I need to rake them?
Planting – is it ok to plant straight into the manure or should I add garden compost on top beforehand?
Potatoes – from reading other forum posts, i gather i plant the seed potatoes just into the surface of the manure. Do they need earthing up?
Seeds – is it ok to seed straight into the manure, i.e. Carrots and parsnips?
Brassicas – do brassicas mind being in manure? Brassicas like to be in firm ground, do you firm the manure down before planting?
So many questions but I’m so looking forward to this gardening adventure!
Thank you Charles
TaraHello Tara, it sounds good.
You could read around a bit here to answer most of this e.g. in No dig growing, Preparation I say
Sowing small seeds into large lumps of compost and manure is unlikely to succeed, so when mulching soil keep the most crumbly and fine organic matter for your surface layer. An excellent time to spread compost is in autumn, as soon as the previous crops finish. Then there is time for frost to break up any lumps and for worms to start taking it down, leaving a fair tilth by spring. It also helps, when the surface organic matter is lumpy, if you knock it around in February or March with a fork, just on the surface, to smooth out the lumpy bits.
Whenever you are spreading an inch or two of compost as surface mulch, break up any larger lumps, aim for golf-ball size as the largest, then weather can do the rest. I find that carrot and parsnip seeds germinate readily when sown into reasonably fine compost, then make straight roots down into the undisturbed soil below.”
No Dig is normal gardening in terms of making a reasonably fine tilth for sowing. Yes rake!
Pull compost to earth up potatoes – incidentally your ‘manure’ is now compost….
I recommend digging out docks first, I hope they do not grow through, have a spade/trowel handy.
Brassicas, your question is too general – tall ones like especially firm soil e.g. Brussels, kale but they will root into the firm, undug soil below. Radish & cabbage are fine in softer surfaces but your compost is not be too soft.
Happy growing.
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