Do / No Dig - Advice Please

[Snadger]

When I took over my plot my idea was to go with a no-dig philosophy. Like you I decided to dig over the plot the first year planting as I was going. Where I differed from you was that I didn't strip off the weed cover but incorporated them into the soil as I went, which added some much needed organic matter. I did of course take out as many of the perennial weeds as possible, but once dried and dead added those as well.

Like you its a bit of a learning process for me. I haven't got the organic matter available and am too tight to buy any so rely heavily on cardboard in some areas and the use of the hoe in others. The hoe is now my best friend.
Recently I have bee n experimenting with hoeing off weeds and instead of adding them to the compost heap, spreading them on top of the cardboard.
This isn't what I would call a 'pretty' method and may incur the wrath of the allotment committee. In which case I would point out that a black desert of plastic is even less pretty as is a brown desert of soil with nothing growing in it.
The same as you, that initial dig did turn up old paths, old fire spots and various lumps of rock,iron and wood which I wouldn't have known were there if I went no-dig from the start.
As far as I m concerned you are doing a great job Broadway and you will learn by experimentation what works well for you.
You do need to get a crop in that soil though, and not join the brown desert brigade.

[broadway]

When I took over my plot my idea was to go with a no-dig philosophy. Like you I decided to dig over the plot the first year planting as I was going. Where I differed from you was that I didn't strip off the weed cover but incorporated them into the soil as I went, which added some much needed organic matter. I did of course take out as many of the perennial weeds as possible, but once dried and dead added those as well.

Like you its a bit of a learning process for me. I haven't got the organic matter available and am too tight to buy any so rely heavily on cardboard in some areas and the use of the hoe in others. The hoe is now my best friend.
Recently I have bee n experimenting with hoeing off weeds and instead of adding them to the compost heap, spreading them on top of the cardboard.
This isn't what I would call a 'pretty' method and may incur the wrath of the allotment committee. In which case I would point out that a black desert of plastic is even less pretty as is a brown desert of soil with nothing growing in it.
The same as you, that initial dig did turn up old paths, old fire spots and various lumps of rock,iron and wood which I wouldn't have known were there if I went no-dig from the start.
As far as I m concerned you are doing a great job Broadway and you will learn by experimentation what works well for you.
You do need to get a crop in that soil though, and not join the brown desert brigade.

Cheers Snadger,

It's interesting what you say about the top/weed matter, I have been piling this at the bottom of the plot, I may well use this in future sections to increase the hight a tad.

I think I've been convinced to lose the membrane so thanks folks.

As for getting it planted I have bits growing at home that will be transplanted in a few weeks.