Topic: How much manure?

[willybell]

How much manure should I add to my raised brassica beds? Some articles say a barrowload every 10 sq m and some say a barrowload per sq m

Ta.

[willybell]

I should have included that ist horse manure with some shavings.

[manicscousers]

isn't it brassicas that don't like muck, or have I got my brains on wrong, anyone ?  :P ;D

[Tee Gee]

How big is a 'barrow'

I usually put three 'builders barrowfuls'into a plot roughly 30ft x 5 ft.

By my calculations this is a 'BIG' barrowful per 5-6 sq yds

[cornykev]

Roots don't like manure
Brassicas plant on the bed manured the previous year but add if soil is short of humus don't forget lime
But everytime I pick up a book they tell you something different.
Question? would you manure potatoes.

[supersprout]

Yep! :)

[willybell]

That was going to be my next question - how much to apply to potatoes?

[manicscousers]

we do, but only with well rotted, mind you, we used to have a pit in the garden, threw everything in it, then planted up with spuds, biggest and best we ever grew  ;D

[cornykev]

Right its common knowledge to manure spuds, page 4 of the veg & herb expert groups spuds with roots Do Not Manure.

[Tee Gee]

Strange how different people have different views on do's & don'ts I 'manure' everything every year!

I tend to ignore the 'fertiliser' content in manure as it can vary from load to load.

I use 'manure' for water retention on my fairly light soil.

Without it I would have to 'water' and thats a chore I try to avoid.

Most farmers don't do so why should I?  ;)

But I never add lime within 4 months of manuring.

Usually muck in Autumn and lime (if needed) at planting out time.


Before anyone asks!!!  with 'roots such as Carrots & Parsnips I sink my spade in the soil ease it back and forward to make a V shaped slot  right along the row.

I fill the trench with recycled compost, water it in, sow seed,cover and thats it!

The manure either side of the trench  transmits sufficient moisture by capillary attraction, this with what falls as rain I find is sufficient.

If growing in barrels/containers I still don't water I want those roots to 'search' for moisture.

see these that I grew in 45 gall drums; the box is my 24"  x 18" 'garden news' tray

[cornykev]

Nice carrots Tee Gee but what do the ones in the ground look like are they the same, it goes against all the rules but it works for you. :P ;D ;D ;D

[jennym]

..I use 'manure' for water retention on my fairly light soil...

And I use horse manure to improve my heavy clay soil, to help break it up. Wouldn't be without it. Am not so successful growing carrots as TeeGee (lovely picture  :)) best crop I got was in a deeply dug bed that hadn't been manured that year, but then again I didn't do what he did (make a V trench and use recycled compost) in the years when I didnt get good crops.

[Tee Gee]

Quote; but what do the ones in the ground look like are they the same

Obviously the carrots shown were grown for exhibition plus they were from selected seed.(A strain off St Valery)

When growing for the 'pot' a lot depends upon what variety I grow and how much thinning I do. 

Over the last few years I have been experimenting with varieties and still find that Autumn King is a reliable variety having said that; I tried Topscore last year and it fared quite well.

I am trying Nairobi & Kinbi this year have never tried these before.

My soil is not very deep (hence using barrels) so I tend to grow 'stump rooted' varieties

I grew these below in 2005 in barrels outdoors and left to there own resources, the ones above were grown in barrels in a cool greenhouse.



These were grown in the ground in 2005 ( I didn't take any pictures last year)



I hope that answers your query.