Best option for root veg.

I am again (bonkers I know) increasing the size of my veg patch. The soil where I'm increasing the growing area is pretty grotty altho it has been supporting an impressive display of Rosebay Willow Herb for years.
To fit in with my rotation of veg it would suit for me to use the new area for mainly Carrots, Beetroot and Parsnips.
My question is what to improve the soil structure/fertility for growing root veg this season?
Normally I would use well rotted horse manure but that's not good for root veg (makes roots fork).
I have available, 75% ish rotted garden compost, ditto leaf mould but neither are really ready. I have Growmore granules or Phostrogen neither of these will obviously improve the soil structure. Not sure which options to go for. Alternatively I could just the same old area again for my root veg and manure the new area and grow say Peas and Beans in it. Hopefully someone can give me the best option/s to take. Thanks.

 

I agree with John, I would plant potatoes in this new ground because of the cover they give to suppress weed growth. Also, digging it over, planting the potato seed, earthing up then digging to harvest also goes someway to improve soil structure.

I'm doing a similar thing this year myself in an area that had long thin beds and paths, I'm digging this out at the moment and will grow tatties in it this year, as the tatties come out I will sow a winter green manure (50% Hungarian Grazing Rye and 50% Vetch) in it's place around August time.

This will stop any further weed growth over the latter part of the season/winter, fix nitrogen from the air into the mix ready to be dug in next spring, draw up and hold onto nutrients through the winter and provide a biomass of vegetation and plant roots.

So over the next year I get two crops (tatties and manure) and improve soil structure/fertility whilst keeping the ground relatively weed free.

Steve...

 

Thanks @JWK
I'm going to add some well rotted manure to the ground and plant peas and beans through some spare membrane I have which should keep the weeding to a minimum. Despite increasing the veg plot I don't really have enough room for growing spuds as grow so many other veg. Next season I'll plant the root veg in the new area as that should work well with as you say some fixed Nitrogen from the previous crop of legumes.

 

Thanks @Steve R I'm sure your methods are very good. I'm just not sure I have the time/energy to be so professional!

 

No extra time/energy required, it's simply digging the ground and growing spuds, when harvested sowing a cover crop. The rest of my post is just an explanation of the work the plants do for you.

If that's not for you, then that is fine.

Steve...

 

I've just remembered the farmer down the road, grew a green manure crop in 1 of his fields last year. He sowed it after harvesting winter wheat I think. He has just ploughed it back in. I'm wondering what he planted. I'll ask him and if he's got any spare seed going a begging I might just do what you suggested @Steve R. Anything which reduces weeds and feeds soil I LIKE! It's only an area about 5 mtres square so a few handfuls of seed should do the trick.

 

This s a crop of my green manure growing last spring, a bit in the middle was dug in, in readiness to plant my pumpkins. Its difficult to tell but it's nearly 3 ft tall here and no weeds.



Steve...