Raised beds

[Parbynat]

I have finally completed the 4 raised beds in my garden. They are made using 200mm by 100mm sleepers and are 8 foot long and 600mm wide.
I have just bought a bulk bag of compost which is made up to suit the growing of fruit and veg which was my plan for spring next year.
I read somewhere about compost losing its nutrients over the winter and was wondering if someone can shed some light on this subject.
Also, could someone give me recommendations if I should do anything to the raised bed for the winter and whether I should add anything to it next year before planting.
Many thanks

 

[Chuck]

I have finally completed the 4 raised beds in my garden. They are made using 200mm by 100mm sleepers and are 8 foot long and 600mm wide.
I have just bought a bulk bag of compost which is made up to suit the growing of fruit and veg which was my plan for spring next year.
I read somewhere about compost losing its nutrients over the winter and was wondering if someone can shed some light on this subject.
Also, could someone give me recommendations if I should do anything to the raised bed for the winter and whether I should add anything to it next year before planting.
Many thanks

If nutrients (NPK) are lost during winter it is very very little. What happens in cold weather to compost is the slowing or stopping of the growth of the micro organisms. These organisms are what break down organic material into substances that plants are able to uptake in order to grow. The easiest way to ensure the growth of these micro organisms is to add carbohydrates to the compost and the best of these is molasses. Add 2 oz of molasses per gallon of water as soon as the weather starts to warm and keep doing this the entire growing season.

 

[Tetters]

Welcome to the forum @Parbynat. Have you put the compost into the beds yet? If not, you might be better off leaving it bagged until the spring. This will retain any fertiliser they added to it. Is it a peat based compost or soil based?
If you have already filled the beds, it would be a good idea to seed them with a green manure crop, so that you can dig this in before planting in the spring.

 

[Parbynat]

Thanks for the replies and the welcome Tetters.
Chuck, I will look into what you recommended.
Tetters, the compost is peat free and is already in the raised beds.
I'm new to this, can you give me an example of what to use?

 

[Tetters]

Yep, I`ll get Zigs to give you a list.....hang on a minute

 

[zigs]

Welcome to the forum

You can get green manure mixes from the garden centre, they usually contain clover, alfalfa, fenugreek and lucerne/sainfoin among others.

I usually use yellow mustard as a cover crop as you can eat the leaves over winter before you dig the rest in in the spring

 

[Tetters]

Actually, I just went on to eBay and found some red clover and some alfalfa for the same purpose - just type in ''green manure seed'' there`s plenty of choice.

 

[Parbynat]

I just watched a video regarding planting green manure seeds and was surprised at the process.
I have since ordered a 3kg bag which should arrive by the weekend.
Am I right with my thinking, plant seeds then turn them into the compost when they grow and then cover the bed with mulch?

 

[Tetters]

Well now you have it all sorted, you will be able to show off your new found plan to the neighbours - and impress them
Yes, you are right