raised bed prep for winter.

igorbiscan

Hi all,
Just looking for some advice?
I have my raised bed now a few years.I had tomatoes,strawberries,peas, and potatoes and other veg at various times.All went well except for the strawberries were hit and miss.
I've now dug up all the remaining plants including the strawberries which I wont be growing again in the patch.There is also a good few weeds in the patch like grasses etc which I've pulled up most of.
What I would like to know is what can I do over winter to start with a blank canvas in spring to grow spuds,tomatoes and peas etc.
Is there a natural weed killer that I can use to kill everything and allow me to maybe spread compost/soil enricher then cover with cardboard fr the winter.

I've read a little about vinegar/salt mix but does that stop anything growing for a long time??Any natural reciepes or advice would be very much appreciated.
Sorry for the long post:o

OldRio

You could sow green manure seeds.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/soil_growgreenmanure1.shtml

zombiepaw

definitely green manure, Plant vetch or a similar variety soon enough.

igorbiscan

Thanks for the info guys,
So I would sow these "green manure" seed soon after the weeds are pulled and the soil dug over,then leave the bed uncovered until feb/march.
What happens then??do you just dig in the "green manure" and leave for a few weeks before I'm ready to plant new veg?Would this manure prevent other grasses and other plants from growing??

zombiepaw

Green manure is a great improver of soil structure with its extensive root system and particularly effective at smothering weeds. The flowers self seed very easily so if being followed with a crop dig the plants in before they flower. If you are covering a patch of ground for more than one season let them flower. Flowers should appear 6-8 weeks after sowing and remain for 6-8 weeks more.