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Am I too late to start a 'No Dig' allotment?

greta.rose.morrisgreta.rose.morris Posts: 3
in Fruit & veg
Hi,

I'm a brand new gardener, just taken on a new allotment.

I've been reading really good things about the 'no dig' method, but most guides talk about putting the compost on in the Autumn and leaving it over winter. Is it too late if I do it in the next week or two (ie. late March), ready for planting out plugs / sowing seeds in Late April / May? Or do I need to dig instead now and switch to no dig from the Autumn?

I don't know how recently the plot has been used to grow - I doubt it has been used this last winter at the very least. However, it has been cleared and the waste burnt on the plot, so is fairly clear and just covered with the ash from the fire at the moment. It hasn't been covered though, so there may be a few weed seedlings still to come. 

I plan to grow runner beans, carrots, tomatoes, sunflowers, strawberries and rhubarb on it (hopefully!!). And the council have provided a big 'ol pile of horse manure for free compost.

Thanks!
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Posts

  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    Fresh horse manure is too strong to use on plants, it will burn them.  You need to either put it on the ground in Winter (when you generally have no veg growing), and leave it to break down over the Winter.  Alternatively, you can store the manure at the plot for 6-12 months or longer, to leave it to decompose enough to use on your plants.  You could buy manure from garden centres and nurseries, in bags, and that could be used now, but it would be very expensive indeed. At our plot we store the fresh manure in large dumpy bags, until it decomposes sufficiently to be used direct, and we also add a layer of fresh manure to our raised beds in the Autumn.  There are various options you can use this Summer to feed your soil/plants (liquid feed, pellets, ash, bonemeal, etc), until you get the manure system going.   
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Most experts advise using a crop rotation system which includes appropriate manuring, mulching and fertilising, in order to maintain soil health and fertility.  Depending on what sort of things you plan to grow this can be a 3 or 4 year rotation.

     Manure is not conducive to good root crops as it makes them split so you can happily go ahead and manure 2/3rds or 3/4s of your plot and keep the rest for root crops.  I would advise also putting down cardboard on all the beds if you can as this excludes light and retains moisture so cuts down on weed seedlings.   Make sure you remove all metal and tape fastenings first.

    You can then plant potatoes through holes made in the cardboard or sow carrots and parsnips in rows between cardboard sheets.  The cardboard can be held in place by manure or well-rotted compost or even metal pegs and it will rot down and be worked in by soil organisms.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    It isn't too late. I started mine in March last year. We made wooden frames. I dug the earth underneath and weeded it to start off, it was just the previous veg garden earth. Then I added 3 barrowloads of rotted horse manure, my own compost and 5 sack of multi-purpose compost to each bed. The compost kept weeds down. 

    I put weed supressant fabric around them and topped it with bark chippings. The smaller middle bed is for herbs.

    I grew cabbages, spinach, broad beans, runner beans, mange tout peas, onions, lettuce, courgettes and sweet corn. By this winter the earth had sunk so, after clearing the beds I've added more rotted manure and compost.


    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • greta.rose.morrisgreta.rose.morris Posts: 3
    Thanks - awaiting confirmation but I think the manure has been sitting out on the allotment site in a big pile for quite some time to break it down as suggested. 

    If not, happy to buy compost for now, but my main question is do I need to dig it in or can I just leave the digging, chuck an inch or two on top and start sticking plants in a month later, or does it much more time for worms to incorporate it as per the 'no dig' method?
  • greta.rose.morrisgreta.rose.morris Posts: 3
    Thanks @Busy-Lizzie that's comforting to know! Is you understanding that it needs to be raised beds at this point (ie. a much thicker layer)?

    We had hoped to do in normal beds to avoid the faff of building beds - plus our allotment neighbours all don't have raised beds which I'm taking as a clue the soil means we should avoid too...
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    "I grew cabbages, spinach, broad beans, runner beans, mange tout peas, onions, lettuce, courgettes and sweet corn. By this winter the earth had sunk so, after clearing the beds I've added more rotted manure and compost."

    Very cool. Congratulations on a great first year.
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    Thank you Fire.

    Mine are raised but not a lot. I wanted to add quite a lot of compost on top of the earth as the earth was heavy clay. I didn't want the compost falling off, I wanted it contained. I grew veg for years in that site, digging in manure each year and gradually the soil improved. But it's horse manure from my own horse and weeds grow like mad. There is a lot of natural pasture with weeds hay in it. I just wanted to make it all easier, no more digging, not much weeding, lighter soil so easier to manage.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Raised beds might seem like a faff to set up, but may make it all easier in the end. Some allotments have lots and some don't. The local choice might be just habit and fashion - like having wood chips paths or not.
  • SmudgeriiSmudgerii Posts: 185
    No need to dig this year or any year.  Also no real need to build raised beds right now, they can wait til later...

    Get as much cardboard as you can, lay it out in the areas you intend to grow in and cover with rotted manure.  Plant through the cardboard and weed as required ( mainly the paths to weed )

    I’ve used pallet collars, but also have some beds without sides, and some with bales..



  • koyukanokoyukano Posts: 72
    greta.rose.morris said:
    Hi,

    I'm a brand new gardener, just taken on a new allotment.

    I've been reading really good things about the 'no dig' method, but most guides talk about putting the compost on in the Autumn and leaving it over winter. Is it too late if I do it in the next week or two (ie. late March), ready for planting out plugs / sowing seeds in Late April / May? Or do I need to dig instead now and switch to no dig from the Autumn?

    I don't know how recently the plot has been used to grow - I doubt it has been used this last winter at the very least. However, it has been cleared and the waste burnt on the plot, so is fairly clear and just covered with the ash from the fire at the moment. It hasn't been covered though, so there may be a few weed seedlings still to come. 

    I plan to grow runner beans, carrots, tomatoes, sunflowers, strawberries and rhubarb on it (hopefully!!). And the council have provided a big 'ol pile of horse manure for free compost.

    Thanks!
    I would have a look at Charles Dowdings videos on Youtube if you have not already, so many videos with great info.
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