Manure or not??

[Millymollymandy]

Well lucky carrots, having a warm snuggy fleece over them! I think most of us in northern Europe are huddled under fleeces at the moment.

[Cheezy]

Is this advisable or are we better going for the green option and planting either mustard or clover, or is it better to cover the whole plot with old carpet etc?

You can get some nice mixed green manures (pea and rye 's) from Thompson and Morgen sow them in September and turn over in Spring.

As long as you sow thickly they might suppress some weeds depending on what you have. But things like couch grass ,marestail and thistles/dock will still come through and you'll be turning them over with the manure.

I've read well rotted cows manure is better (nutrients and organic matter) than horses. We've got a local dairy farmer who delivers 2- 3 tonnes for £20!. You have to rot it down yourself mind, this is best done in the spring ready for the winter. The benefit is you can grow pumpkins and squashes on it while it's rotting.

And if your wanting to be green the advice is do NOT use old carpet. In fact some assoc's. wont let you. They contain a lot of chemicals, including antimicrobial fungicides and heavy metals.

Either use proper weed suppressant, and re use it every year, or as Andy has done try a thick layer of cardboard covered with soil (or even your manure!). This will after a year rot down to improve the soil. You can cut through the cardboard and plant through it.

And remember most plants will not survive if they receive no sunlight for a year.! (however your plot will look a real mess with nothing growing on it and covered in cardboard and manure )