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Mixing compost and manure

Caroline117Caroline117 Posts: 45
in Fruit & veg

can anyone advise? I've a new allotment that's needing complete digging over and have recently completed a couple of raised bed. The soil is extremely clay-ey. I have topped one bed with a few inches of 8 month old rotted manure (that still has a bit of straw). Can I further top up over the manure with compost or even topsoil? Is it detrimental to mix both? 

I don't plan to plant anything till next spring. I want to ultimately use the no dig method.

all advice greatly appreciated

Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384

    You can use whatever you have available.  The worms will mix it all together anyway, which is what you ultimately want.  Look up 'lasagna bed' where this is done on purpose. image

    Last edited: 22 September 2017 18:41:19

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • RedwingRedwing Posts: 1,511

    The more organic matter you can add to clay soil the better.  I've 40+ years experience of gardening on clay and the more you can open it out with organic matter the better it will become.  If you add it now as a mulch the worms will work it in over winter.

    Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
  • Caroline117Caroline117 Posts: 45

    Thank you everyone. Shows how experience is everything. I had read somewhere not to add both together as they 'counteracted' each other somehow but technically they are both organic matterso shouldn't be a problem.

    ideally I wanted to aim for a finer tilth on the top layer as opposed to the lumpy manure.

    thanks again 

  • ClaringtonClarington Posts: 4,949

    Caroline; my mother's garden is clay. My god mother owns a horse. Annually we load around four tons worth of well rotted manure into my truck and deposit it over the garden in a chuck it on top and leave it too it.

    If you get a few good frosts over winter it breaks up really well.

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    I've always done it - in every garden I've had. In this garden, which was mainly compacted grass, I created a bed along the boundary when I moved in a few years ago. I added a load of manure and planted up the following spring, adding compost to everything I planted, as usual.

    I've already had to remove a few things. They grew so well, they outgrew their spaces within eighteen months.  image

    It will gradually break down and you'll get a good medium for planting, Caroline. Don't worry too much about it being nice and fine. The nutritional content is what you need most. Unless it's for carrots image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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