Preparing the soil for Spring vegetable planting

We have a crop rotation system here that works well for us. With three large beds we can plot where and when we plant crops to ensure we make best use of companion planting, soil fertility and crop timing. Two of our three beds are still packed with winter crops such as celeriac, leeks, kalettes, cabbage, cauliflower, swede and kale.

Following lots of wet weather the ground has dried sufficiently so that we are now able to do some work on the vegetable beds. The third bed was seeded with green manure (oats) back in Autumn, these are now ready to be dug in along with some home-produced compost. This will be left to rot down for several weeks before potatoes, onion and tomatoes are planted.

We have worked hard over the past few years to improve the soil structure as our beds were established on meadow land that was mainly solid clay. With the addition of sandy topsoil, raising the beds, adding as much compost and manure as we can get our hands on and annual sowing of green manure the soil has greatly improved. Earthworms are now abundant and help work the soil along with many other insects and micro-organisms. The soil is loose, full of organic matter and a much richer and more fertile ground in which to grow vegetables.

Elsewhere in the garden processing the coppiced wood continues and we are gradually building up a good stock of kindling for use next winter. There is life again in and around the garden with visiting deer and wild boar. Sadly, as I write this blog-post I can see the hunters in the bottom field and I can hear their dogs frantically rooting out anything that moves in the nearby woodland. I just hope these three nightly visitors stay safe...