Cover Or Cultivate?

[Snadger]

I try and keep a crop or green manure on beds at all times. Preferably a crop.

[Chippy Minton]

Same here - garlic needs to go in yet. Plus broad beans and peas. How did i think an extra quarter plot would be enough?!

Arghh, forgot about the garlic and was going to get an overwintering crop of broad beans going but the wife wants the outside (hardening off) table back and there's still 3 trays of spring cabbage and a tray of kale to remove......

No vacancies here, or to coin a phrase soon to be ringing around the schools of England "There's no room at the Inn...."

[rary]

As my beds become vacant I intend first, to cover them with a mix of seaweed and shredded garden waste, tree branches and old compost, then leave it over the winter, the only crops will be some leeks 8 cabbages and three root of chard, the cabbages are covered with a small enviromesh tunnel to give some protection.

[Bigmallly]

I also have Leeks, Parsnips & Spring Brassicas on the go but by the time they are emptied, it will be time to go again so those beds won't get a rest so to speak. They will however get a good topping up with organic matter.

[Alison]

I don't have much spare space yet although the legume beds won't be used over winter and so will be sowing green manures there. Apart from that they're pretty full with winter brassicas, leeks, garlic, winter onions, carrots, parsnips and winter salads

[Lisasbolt]

My empty times are July and the beginning of August.
I still have a bit of space but its filling quite quickly, i am trying not to plant 50 broccoli seedlings at once, but its hard seeing a space but need to leave space for successional, i am very bad at this

[1Bee]

I'm having a nightmare! We're converting from four beds for our first growing season this year, to five beds plus a raspberry bed next year, plus I've got leeks, swede, parsnips, spinach and PSB standing. All, of course, in spaces that will be paths next year.... ARGH!

It's like a crazy sliding puzzle....

Sorry, slightly off-topic, but...

[Jungle Jane]

I would like to be more experienced in using the beds continuously,but I'm not quite there,maybe one day. My sweetcorn finished,so I've mulched the area with sweetcorn plant choppings for now,birds can get in there to find all the slugs. My runner beans haven't all finished yet,some have so I've cut them up as a mulch,it stops a lot of weeds & adds a bit of nutrients to the soil. My carrots in a big pot finished,I left it uncovered,within the week I spotted my cat in there,I think he was marking his territory,I didn't find any mess in there thankfully. My raised bed still has a few bits in there,Including my first attempt at leeks,they're thicker than grass blades now! I'l empty it very soon & put some meteor peas in there to overwinter,so if they're ready in the spring,I can plant brassica in there in June.