When is it best to recharge the soil?

[hamsterqueen]

I've got raised beds and am just finishing up the salads so that I can plant onion sets and garlic to overwinter, so no need to add anything to the compost then?

I noticed today that the soil was much colder than a few weeks ago, Autumn is here despite the few sunny days recently.

[DaveInBraknell]

Hi,

I am using the following method on our beds at the Allotment:

1)Adding the correct portions of Rock Phosphate
2)Adding the correct portions of Hoof & Horn
3)Where appropriate adding in well rotted horse manure
4)Adding a generous helping of Hay to the top to cap it off.

My theory is a lot of this is long breakdown stuff so leaving it to breakdown over winter into plant bits (it is all very slow release) and minimising the run off by capping with the hay as a mulch (Also will breakdown) should do the beds pretty good.

I did a soil analysis before hand to find out what was missing (See different thread on here).

I understand it might wash some away (Nitrates/Phosphates) but am hoping the slow breakdown will bring the beds to a base line, then will add more in Summer/Late Spring next year to bring it up again.

Pumping in a load of organic fertlisers in one go seems perhaps confusing to me as it is just like having a steroid injection, rather one should try to build up the soil structure again with a program of elements?

Confused in Bracknell
Dave

[snohare]

I understand it might wash some away (Nitrates/Phosphates)

There seems to be two ways to lose nutrients bigtime from topsoil to judge from what I remember of soil ecology, through reaction with the atmosphere and through leaching into subsoil. So if you cover it up with cardboard you will cut down on both of these, surely Dave ?
Personally I am hoping to put some wet straw amongst the manure under the surface in my beds, and get some fermentation going, to speed up decomposition.