Mulching a plot over winter?

[Upsy daisy]

Hi everyone,
I am a new allotment holder in Peterborough. We are so excited to get cracking and have already planted various seedlings (Brussels, purple sprouting, leeks etc). However most of the plot won't be used until planting up next Spring. The plot is beautifully rotivated so we want to put cardboard over the unused section to kill off any weeds and prevent weed growth. I have heard that mulching over the cardboard is a good idea but am getting very confused as to what would be a good mulch to use that can then be dug in come springtime. And how do I know how much we need, the plot is 6m x 25m.

Advice from you wise folk would be gratefully appreciated! Am enjoying reading all the posts!

Thanks!
Upsy daisy (yes we do have a toddler!)

[Hazel at the Hill]

Hi UD, welcome to the Vine! Exciting to have a new plot, isn't it!

I think you might be getting quite a bit of different advice on this topic.

You could:

• Cover in cardboard (go and ask at any of the 'sheds' and Curry'/Halfords and the will have bit pieces that you can take away
• Sow green manure over the bits that you aren't going to use until Spring - there's one or two different ones, sow in rows then it's easy dig in in Spring.
• Sow green manure then hoe/strim it off in Spring and leave it to rot on the surface.
• Get hold of a great steaming pile of manure and liberally pile it over the plot. It will be lovely by the time Spring comes round.

Personally, I'd cover with cardboard (cardboard suppressed the weeds, manure to feed the soil) and then a layer of horse muck - by the time spring comes the whole lot will have rotted down and you can plant young veg plants straight in there.

[Guykp57]

Welcome UD, how you enjoy new plots as much as I am, had it about 3 months now lots going on but lots of questions for fellow allotmenters. Ask away like I do and you'll get lots of advise. Keep us up to date with what you do.

[zazen999]

I'd just cardboard it myself. Am about to do the same to a newly weeded area at a community gardens over the next week.

[Two_Sheds]

we want to put cardboard over the unused section ... have heard that mulching over the cardboard is a good idea but am getting very confused

Cardboard is a mulch.

That's all you need for weed suppression & moisture retention (just weight it down with soil or something)

[Indigo23]

Hello, and welcome, UD. Have fun with you new plot.

[Upsy daisy]

Thanks for the warm welcome and the advice. That seems much clearer now. Will start with just the cardboard and if we can get hold of some free horse manure will use that on top.

The allotment has free wood chip available, would any of you think of using that?

[rustylady]

Use woodchip for paths, not beds.

[Upsy daisy]

Thanks RustyLady! Gosh I feel so green!

[leonmc0708]

Hey - everyone leaarns from someone - this place i great for that.

Personally I would stack the horse manure nice and high - 6 inches if possible - on the beds and let the worms do their bit over the winter, then just turn it in once the groudn thaws in hte new year.

swerve the woodship as this and hay does soemthign to the nitrogen stores as it breaks down I am told.

ALSO - if you can sow some over winter broad beans in a coupel of beds - they are a MASSIVE boost with an early crop in the Spring.

[alldigging]

It's not the end of summer yet though...

[rustylady]

And you can plant garlic and overwintering onion sets in late Autumn.