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Manuring & Winter Digging
I have a plot ready to have manure and dug it in
However a friend has said that it could be better to just rough dig the plot now and leave the frost , cold and rain to break down the blocks and so expose the roots of the weeds and thereby kill them off
He says if I add the manure now I will just have bigger weed roots for the spring
Advice and thoughts please friends
Everyone is just trying to be Happy.....So lets help Them.
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When I had an allotment I did as your friend suggests - rough dig in the autumn - spread well rotted manure in February and fork over and rake down when the soil is dry enough for you to work without it clinging to your boots.
Where I differ from your friend is that when I rough dig in the autumn I would try to get as many perennial weed roots out as possible.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
If it's fresh manure you need to dig it in from now onwards in order to give it time to break down in the soil. If it is well rotted manure then you may well be better off by doing as your friend suggests then digging it in during early spring. Whichever you choose, you should try and remove every piece of root you see as you are doing the digging - that is by far the most effective way of removing perennial weeds by far.
Snap Dove!
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Perhaps we should enquire what sort of soil Newboy has? My allotment was in High Suffolk and was improved clay - it was always better for being rough dug and left to 'weather' - different techniques for different soils
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Th manure does not smell and is well rotted with some lovely red worms
I have worked the plot for 4 years and it was worked up till 6 months before I took it on
The total plot is in 3 areas for rotation
This area 14 foot x 14 foot is the heaviest with traces of clay just below a spades depth
Its trhe last one at the bottom of a slope but does drain fairly well
Apologies........I was not clear
The thrust of the original question was whether the manure added now would make the inbedded weeds stronger and more prolific so that when I come to sow in Feb the weeds would be more of a problem
I have as usual taken on board all of the other advice
Just get the weeds out asap roots and all - then you can manure whenever.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.