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To dig or not to dig?

• Message 1. 

  Posted by lovemyveg (U10954501) on Tuesday, 5th October 2010

  Did a garden tidy up last week end, just got sprouts, leeks and swede left in. Rest of plot is now empty so just did a light hoe and rake. I usually do the serious dig in the spring. Does anyone do a dig now and are there any advantages to do so?
  Thanks

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• Message 2

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  Posted by Kleftiwallah (U13700999) on Tuesday, 5th October 2010

  There is a school of thought that the winter frosts break up the clods and makes the ground more friable for spring planting. Cheers, Tony.

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• Message 3

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  Posted by kiocarp (U2370311) on Tuesday, 5th October 2010

  I would dig 3 reasons Why I would.
  1. Get ride of all the bugs ie slug eggs .
  2. The frost helps to get it to a good tilth and kills all the bugs.
  3.You can add cow or hores muck and this can be done at the same time. Hope this helps.

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  Posted by hereisabee (U2342191) on Tuesday, 5th October 2010

  If you have a clay soil, then turning the soil over in large jagged clods will expose the clay to frost and so will rake to a better tilth in the spring. For other soil types, forking through the soil is a chance to remove perennial weeds. However modern advice is to sow green manures and beans like Broad Bean 'Aquadulce', as an empty soil means the beneficial fungi diminish and these organisms are essential for organic gardeners.

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  Posted by punpun (U14553477) on Tuesday, 5th October 2010

  Hi lonemyveg.
  
  Like your good self im clearing the plot both veg and some of the flower beds and what i do is to turn the soil over and using leaf mold on the flower bed and both manure and the used compost out of the urns/pots ect on the veg area and leave this sitting on the top and let the worms pull it down for me and the frost will breakdown the clay ect and if you put a good 4 inch layer of compost on the top it really will stop the weeds from coming up,
  remember weeds need light/water/ just look in any forest and you'll not see a lot of weeds growing all due the the trees leaves falling and covering the ground.
  So if you've a bed you dont want to weed and you cover the ground 4inch think with compost you'll stop a lot of the weeds growing but birds do drop seed and this seed landing on top will grow so your never weed free but the thick layer of compost will help to control weeds.

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• Message 6

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  Posted by Lorea (U14415784) on Wednesday, 6th October 2010

  I have heavy clay soil and last year I planted Italian rye grass as green manure on the veg patch which I dug in at the end of February, (I expected it to be harder work than it was in the end). We had quite a lot of hard frosts after that which definitely did break up the soil. I'm thinking of following punpun's advice this year as I have a lot of compost I need to use, and can't decide which green manure to use this year.

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• Message 7

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  Posted by lovemyveg (U10954501) on Wednesday, 6th October 2010

  Thanks everyone, looks like I am getting the spade out this weekend, must remember to buy some radox.

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