On Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:27:01 +0000, Vegegrower
wrote:


Up till now I've digging over every year prior to planting veg plants.

However I've been advised that this upsets the natural layers of the
soil and a more beneficial course of action would be to spread compost,
perhaps with some manure added, over the surface late in the year and
let the worms take compost down in to the soil during the winter.
Shortly before planting veg, spike the soil with a fork to get air down
into the depth.


Has anyone got an opinion on this?

I see everybody's a bit backward in coming forward, so I'll be the
fool who rushes in where angels fear to tread. If your soil is
reasonably good, you could try it on half the plot for three years and
see. You need a hell of a lot of compost, and I didn't have brilliant
success on a heavy clay, so I reverted to the annual forking over.
Once a no-digging plot is established, it should really aerate itself,
as the worms and things are supposed to keep the soil open. Arrange
the plot in narrow strips so you never, ever, have to walk on it: you
don't need raised beds, mind, just ones you can reach into easily.

--
Mike.