Hello and a question about manure!

[Sunny Nook]

Hi All,
Novice gardner from sunny Bollington here.

Having never grown any veg myself, I've decided now is the time, but couldn't possibly do it without a bit of help. Books and magazines have been read, but you can't beat a good forum.

I have a small plot in my garden (about 4ft x 9ft) and thought I'd try my hand at growing some veg in 2009, maybe Potato's, Cabbage, Kale, Peas, Onions, Carrots & Parsnips.

My first question to the forum is: should I dig some good compost/manure into the whole area and then leave it for a while before planting any seeds?

Thanks,

Sunny Nook.

[shirlthegirl43]

Hello and welcome to the vine.

I would advise you to invest in a really handy book called 'The Vegetable and Herb Expert' by Dr Hessayon - inexpensive and invaluable for basic gardening advice.

You deffo don't want to manure where you will plant carrots and parsnips though - the manure will make them go funny shapes.

[HeyWayne]

I'd second that recommendation, and advice regarding carrots/parsnips.

Good luck.

[Sunny Nook]

Hi Shirley,

Thanks for the reply. If I put the manure in now but didn't plant any onion/carrot seeds till Feb/Mar next year, would that be alright or is just no manure at all at any time?

Thanks.

[shirlthegirl43]

Manure for onions is fine, just not for the carrots and parsnips. I will check my Hessayon for crop rotation when I get home later - I haven't got the hang of crop rotation yet as I have just had my second growing year in one bed and first in another so I haven't really done rotation yet.

[Sunny Nook]

ok thanks, I meant parsnips, not onions - doh!

[shirlthegirl43]

Right, Dr Hessayon says about manuring:

"Manuring is the start of the gardening year. In autumn or early winter spread bulky organic matter over the surface at the rate of 10lb per sq. yard (approximately 1 barrowload per 10 sq. yards). The area chosen should be for crops other than roots or brassicas, but all land can be enriched with well-rotted manure or old compost if it is starved of humus.

Animal manure is scarce and garden peat is expensive. The answer is to make as much compost as you can, using both garden and kitchen waste. Make sure some carbon-rich matter (straw, leaves, chopped newspaper, etc.) is present, and remember to keep the heat in and the rain out. Do not use lime but add a little soil between organic matter layers.

Where time allows, fork the organic layer into the surface before digging starts (see page 4.) It is vital that this manuring routine is carried out so that part of the plot is enriched each year until the whole area has been treated. Its role is to improve the crumb sturcture and increase the water- and food-holding capacity."

I will copy out the basic rotation later if you need me to (actually, that will probably be tomorrow) but there are lots of threads which cover this on the vine.

[Sunny Nook]

Shirley, that's brilliant! Thanks very much for that.
I see a copy of that book making it's way to my bookshelf very shortly.