Lay compost on free spaces now or wait until November

[Rhys]

Charles

As some parts of the garden clear, not to be replaced by winter/spring crops, I was wondering whether putting ripe compost down now/in September will be advantageous over waiting until November to cover all bare ground in one go?

I have half a cubic metre ready to go and will have five square metres free by the end of September…..

[charles]

Good question Rhys and yes I would cover now, better for your soil. I say from October ?november as that is often when last crops come off.
Or sow mizuna/mustards/rocket as edible green manure, before or after composting.
Always many options.

[Hempie]

I was thinking of sowing covercrop on a patch were we want to grow roses next year.
But my question is: what to do with the crop next year.
Because i want to do no dig gardening, but i always read that one needs to dig in the cover crop?
How is this then a no digging approach?

[charles]

Hempie if you want to grow a cover crop, sow mustard now, its killed by frost, or rocket which you can eat, then twist out in spring, or broad/field beans which you can cut at ground level.

[Hempie]

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[Hempie]

Hi Charles,

I replied already yesterday evening since i was in the garden all day, but somehow the message didn’t show up. So here again 🙂
I think i’ll go for mustard then.

I have a lot of cardboard available and i mean a lot! Nice clean cardboard plates of 120x100cm, no tape, no labels whatsoever.
Can i use this cardboard to cover the mustard after the 1st frost, and cover that again with compost and then in coming spring plant all the David Austin roses i have?

thanks.
Hempie

[charles]

Yes you can do that.
If anyone reading this has less cardboard, it may not be necessary, depending how many weeds there are. I usually hand weed after mustard as there are very few.

[Author]

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