When best to dig in organic matter?

[ManicComposter]

I have had my allotment over a year now and am just planning what I want to achieve with it during the next six months.

I worked really hard last year on it and to be honest I have exceeded my expectations when it comes to produce that I have received.

I am planning on getting some cow manure towards the end of the year for digging into the earth. When is the best time to do this? Should I get some now and let it rot down before digging it in later this year? When is the best time to let it dig in? Autumn and then let it over winter in the soil?

Many thanks for the advice.

[ManicComposter]

[PAULW]

I am planning to start collecting fresh hoss muck which will be spread over where I am going to plant my spuds and left to overwinter and dug in just before planting the spuds, the spuds are planted and rowed up then covered with straw the straw rots down as the spuds grow, this means in a season the ground is manured and humus added the bed is then ready for overwintering onions which in turn are covered with straw.

[tim_n]

dig in the stuff whenever you've not got anything growing in the ground and more importantly when you can actually get the spade into the ground...

[Digeroo]

I tend to put my organic matter in after the winter.  This is not the recommended way, but being on gravel all the nutrients will wash out during the winter.  I like to grow a green manure in any bare patches so they can lock up the last of any goodness during the winter, and be dug back in in the spring.  One of my favourites is broad leaved cress, you can nibble the leaves all winter.

[tonybloke]

I am planning to start collecting fresh hoss muck which will be spread over where I am going to plant my spuds and left to overwinter and dug in just before planting the spuds, the spuds are planted and rowed up then covered with straw the straw rots down as the spuds grow, this means in a season the ground is manured and humus added the bed is then ready for overwintering onions which in turn are covered with straw.

this is a good way of washing all the nutrients out of your muck. You are better off stacking it in one pile, and covering it with a water-proof cover 'til the spring.then spread it out and dig it in.  ;)

[1066]

dig in the stuff whenever you've not got anything growing in the ground and more importantly when you can actually get the spade into the ground...

This sounds like the most practical way of doing it - not necessarily the most scientific but definitely practical and the most likely scenario in my case!

1066

[tim_n]

I am planning to start collecting fresh hoss muck which will be spread over where I am going to plant my spuds and left to overwinter and dug in just before planting the spuds, the spuds are planted and rowed up then covered with straw the straw rots down as the spuds grow, this means in a season the ground is manured and humus added the bed is then ready for overwintering onions which in turn are covered with straw.

this is a good way of washing all the nutrients out of your muck. You are better off stacking it in one pile, and covering it with a water-proof cover 'til the spring.then spread it out and dig it in.  ;)

Sounds good to me, you want to plant those spuds nice and deep to get the best harvest then if the nutrients goes down.  Or  plant carrots, they like that sort of thing.

I planted in 100% fresh horse muck last two years and got plenty of potatoes.  I did the same in 100% soil improver and similarly got loads of potatoes back.  I also even though have kept potatoes out of the compost heap still keep pulling plants out of there, I'm also finding them coming up in paths, under the shed and raised beds which have never seen potatoes and no, I'm not adding my home made compost to them.

I blame the majority of this on an intellegent race of moles or rats.  Something must be planting crops under the soil where I've never even lifted it for three years.  Mind you planting under the shed isn't very intelligent.