Soil improvement on new plot

[Shedgirl]

Hi
We took on a large allotment in late autumn last year and unfortunately due to the rain were not able to get it dug over.

So, we have 9 "beds" which are roughly what the previous occupant had, but they are quite grassy and weedy but nothing too awful except the odd bit of couch.

The soil is very heavy clay (we could make bricks from it) and we know we really need to improve it for planting, but realistically we won't get the whole lot done this Spring.

I have access to some manure - some rotted and some fresh - and a big pile of bark chippings.

We are thinking the following:
- One bed is dug and weed free, so we will cover this with well rotted manure as a mulch and plant into it. We do have quite a lot of fruit bushes in pots which really need to go in ASAP and this is the area where we plan to build a fruit cage in any case.
- the remaining 8 beds are grass and weeds. We are thinking of treating 6 these with Roundup Ultra and then mulching with a mixture of wood chippings and fresh manure as an organic mulch and pretty much leaving these until later in the year.
- for the remaining 2, we will probably bite the bullet and dig them over as well, and try to improve with well rotted manure as much as possible, but maybe treat these with Roundup just for this first year and plant into them later in the season.

Does this sound sensible? Not sure if we are going in the right direction here.

I keep reading about no-dig method being better for the soil structure but also others on the allotments nearby are busy digging hard already although to be fair we have a much bigger plot than most and are taking the long term approach and taking our time to get the infrastructure in, so over winter we have cleared tons of carpet and old shed/compost bins and replaced those with a new shed and compost bins, good water butts etc.

[alldigging]

Break up the clay a little (or not). Pile on as much bark as you have and then pile muck over the top.
Plant pumpkins if the muck is a little fresh but most other things if it's well rotted.
Add as much mulch as you can.


I'd not use roundup.

Cardboard on the beds if you want to clear the weeds.

[Madasafish]

We have a garden with lots of clay. Digging it has been a waste of time. An added layer of manure/compost every year gives a top layer of 10cms of light soil.

IF you want to dig, you need a LOT of soil conditioning earth + sand plus plus .. Like probably 30cms deep if spread on the surface. That equates to several tonnes.

(I speak with 30 years in our garden)

Edit

You also need to consider drainage. Which will be fun on clay soil as the fine particles clog up field drains...Hence my no digging..

[Two_Sheds]

... others on the allotments nearby are busy digging hard already

Yes, it's a hard habit to break. People feel they need to be "doing" something. I prefer to follow Nature, and she doesn't dig, she just lays lots of mulch (fallen leaves, animal droppings)

[Kristen]

on clay soil as the fine particles clog up field drains...Hence my no digging..

Where builders have put land drains in for us (perforated drainage pipe, which comes on a roll and is covered [just to top of pipe] with gravel) are "wrapped" in some sort of builders fabric - it looks like horticultural fleece - which is supposed to keep the silt out.

The ones we put in are 2" perforates drainage pipe, and I haven't put any membrane around them, just gravel, and they are running fine after 10 years or so. (Not suggesting this is a good idea per se! but over-spec of diameter might be enough).

The membrane also keeps tree roots out, which would be a greater consideration if there trees nearby I think.