[Yorky]

Hello all, the soil in my raised beds is heavy clay type and the level has dropped since I put it in (spring 2008) so I topped them up with well-rotted manure last November. I am attempting to operate a 'no-dig' policy and hoped the worms in the compost would do the work for me.

The compost is actually so well-rotted that the worms had moved on so it hasn't really worked in to the soil. Bearing in my mind I don't want to damage the structure of the soil by digging, should I just rake it level and sow / transplant straight in to it?

Also, I haven't sown yet and am considering covering each bed with clear plastic in order to warm up the soil for the next couple of weeks - is this a good idea whether I dig the soil or not?.

Finally, I have one bed for root vegetables which I covered with autumn leaves rather than manure (to prevent forking/splitting). I covered this in plastic garden mesh to hold them in place so it was fully open to the elements but the leaves haven't decomposed. What should I do with these?

[Foxylock]

If your operating a no dig policy and the compost is well rotted then just sow as normal on the top of the bed. Black plastic would be an even better option for heating up the soil. Normally to make leaf mold one piles leaves in an out of the way area and leave them for at least a year before putting on a bed. I would say take them off the bed and let them rot down, or add to your compost heap.