Preparing soil

[Flunky]

Currently I have used 1/2 my plot and now want to use the other half.

I am thinking spay the area, cover up, add manure later in year then cover up again until required.

What do you guys think ?

[Flunky]

[lolabelle]

i cover the areas that were weedy and not used , with a layer of cardboard and balck plastic  did this ealy may had a look underneath yestwrday , no weeds so will did and mature when I'm ready in the spring  ;)

[Ishard]

The trouble with spraying weedkiller at this time of year is that it may wind drift to other planted parts of your plot or other peoples plot, who may then want to go on to hang draw and quarter you if they lose their crops.  :)

As has already been suggested you dont actually need to spray, the black plastic will kill most things under it.

[antipodes]

I wouldn't spray either, but why not manure now if you are going to cover it? that will help smother any weeds that are already there. And if it's covered, any nutrients will probably stay put.
Covering is the best idea ever invented, I now use it regularly wherever possible and since I can never find any black plastic I use cardboard covered with a plastic tarp.

[ceres]

Please be very careful to check with the supplier of your manure whether it has been sprayed with herbicide.  If they don't know or won't tell you, don't use it.  It doesn't matter if it's well-rotted.  The herbicide doesn't begin to dissipate until the plant material it's bound to is broken down by soil organisms and in the meantime it can wreak havoc with your plants.

[Flunky]

Thanks for you help.

1) Spray bad. Will not spray.

2) Manure I will get in now. I am blessed by the fact that one of my good friends works on a massive ORGANIC pig farm. So, I have access to the all poop I need. I assume that if they are organic pigs I wont have herbicide problem ? I did read that thread in horror.

3) I am using black DPM so I hope this will be ok ?

Any other tips or info would be greatfully rcvd.

[tonybloke]

cover land with wet cardboard, then manure, then straw. wet the straw so that it stays in place. ;)

[Ishard]

Nice one Tony  :) Thats exactly what I do.

Flunky before you lay anything on the ground you must cut the weeds down to under 6 inches or the top stuff wont stay on properly.