Some starter questions from a newbie !!!

[CPD]

Hello all,

We are completely new to vegetable growing however have just bought a house with a large veg plot and are planning what to grow next year. I have several questions ......

Soil preparation
As part of a tidy up, I would like to dig over and prepare the soil for next year. i am thinking that dig over, remove weeks and then cover for the winter is the way to go ?. My questions .....
- Should I be digging anything into the soil at this stage ?.
- What could I best cover the soil with to avoid weed growth during winter ?.

Compost Heaps
There are 2 heaps/bins at the bottom of the garden, and I am guessing one is this years and the other is last years, and they rotate each year etc.. How do you know if it ready to be used, and how do you then use it ?. Is there anything to add to help the decomposition ?. Could/should I be digging last years into the soil now ?.

Fruit
We are also looking at growing some perennial fruits in raised beds. Is there a type of membrane we could cover the soil with before planting (I remember my mum doing this) then cutting through the membrane to plant the bush. I am pretty sure the membrane would allow water to pass through but also keep the dreaded weeds at bay ......

Lastly, I fully appreciate any help or any comments anyone can make to get us going. I use one other forum for a hobby of mine and like this, started as a complete novice and therefore a nett user of information from other users. Once up and running though I completely understand the importance of becoming a contributor (where possible) to help others along (ie people like us in our current situation !). Many thanks again.
Alan

[bantiekeeper]

Hi there, Welcome to the forum. With regards to soil preparation I personally would rough dig the plot now. No need to break it down too much. Do not cover it, let the frost get to it. If any of the compost is ready ( pick up a handful and smell it. It should smell sweet and earthy not unpleasant) scatter this over the dug area. The worms will get to work and pull it down over the next few months.
I do not add anything to my compost heaps other than Comfrey leaves in the summer. At the beginning of this year I replanted my gooseberry bushes through a membrane and covered it with woodchip. The crop was not great this year due to them being moved but should be ok next year. Hope this helps.

[solway cropper]

Hi and welcome to veg. growing.

If the plot has been previously cultivated you could either rough dig it or just cover it with old cardboard held down with compost. the cardboard acts as a weed suppressant and rots down over winter.

I'd keep the bulk of the compost to be added in spring. If you add more material to the heaps now it's not going to decompose much due to the low winter temps.

My soft fruit bushes are planted in open ground and receive a thick mulch of coarse compost each spring. Once they get established they can cope with a few weeds.

[golden14]

[quote=CPD;28547]Hello all,

We are completely new to vegetable growing however have just bought a house with a large veg plot and are planning what to grow next year. I have several questions ......

Soil preparation
As part of a tidy up, I would like to dig over and prepare the soil for next year. i am thinking that dig over, remove weeks and then cover for the winter is the way to go ?. My questions .....
- Should I be digging anything into the soil at this stage ?. -
- What could I best cover the soil with to avoid weed growth during winter ?.

Add in manure now to make sure it is well rotted for next season. But leave an area manure free for carrots - learnt that last bit today on here.
You could use black breathable anti weed cloth available for B&Q and any good garden centre. Add lots of stakes - B&Q sell good metal ones in packs. To hold it down

Compost Heaps
There are 2 heaps/bins at the bottom of the garden, and I am guessing one is this years and the other is last years, and they rotate each year etc.. How do you know if it ready to be used, and how do you then use it ?. Is there anything to add to help the decomposition ?. Could/should I be digging last years into the soil now ?.

Depends on how well it has decomposed, you could do with someone who has a good veg garden/allotment to look at it for you. Very hard to say without seeing the condition of it.
You can buy compost accelerator to scatter on it, then add water or simply tiddle on it as urine, as gross as it sounds does rapidly help with the compost breakdown (Best done at night for obvious reasons)
Hope all this helps. Why not take a "before" photo and post it on here next season with a photo of your new plot growing