Topic: How rotted is rotted?

[SnooziSuzi]

Hi all,

I am the proud owner of a load of horse manure today, most of it is about 3 months old but some of it is younger.

I know that I need to leave it to rot down, but how long should that be for? 

[cambourne7]

Is there heat comming off this and it it in lumps? Thats usualy how i tell its fresh.

[SnooziSuzi]

it is in lumps, but it wasn't warm as I'd uplifted it from its original location, transported it in an open airy trailer and then decanted it to the back of the lottie.  I'll check for any heat coming from it tomorrow.

I know it's fairly fresh, most of the straw is still strawlike (has come from stables) and some of it had only just been pooed out today!!

[silly billy]

Wish I could have a delivery.We are not allowed any due to the foot and mouth restrictions.I can't take my dogs with me to the lottie either  :'( :'(

[theothermarg]

I,v been offered a truck load of cow poo for £25 it will have to be dumped in the car park and barrowed down to the plots how many barrows in app 5 ton would you say :-\ snoozisuzy I was reading in KG today it dosn,t need to be rotted if you are spreading it on bare ground for the worms to take down it also says to cover it with cardboard hope this helps you, can antbody help me pref with a couple of barrows  ;D
marg

[cambourne7]

Approx 5-6 wheelbarrows per ton dependant on the size of your barrow.

I find that i can fit 2 recycling boxes on top of the wheelbarrow which allows me to carry about 3/4 more :)

[Eristic]

Approx 5-6 wheelbarrows per ton dependant on the size of your barrow.

If you can push 200 kilos around I'm not going to argue with you. :D
10-15 barrows to the ton is a more manly number or 30 if you're a pole.

[grawrc]

yes I'd agree with Eristic. I've moved about 12 barrowloads and there's still half a ton left to move.

[Carls3168]

Like `theothermarg` I just pile the manure I get on my empty beds from now throughout winter - most of this still has traces of straw and is `lumpy`

I'm of the "no-dig" theory , and despite me putting a good couple of inches on top and not digging it in, come the spring its all broken down into the soil and I just plant straight into it.

[Eristic]

It never ceases to amaze me just where it all goes to. I like to top-dress all overwintering crops, flowers and bulb areas at this time of the year mainly to make things look pretty but most of this seems to vanish over the winter. Still, the time to worry is when the horse stops producing it.

[Tee Gee]

I know that I need to leave it to rot down, but how long should that be for

Depends if you are planting in it right after laying/digging it in.

If you are not planting in it then it is OK to dig it in or mulch with it then it will have time to rot down.

For instance the load I have just had delivered is not quite rotted down but I will incorporate in my winter digging and it will have rotted down by the time I plant out next spring.

If you plant in fresh manure you will find it might be too hot for the plant roots(caused by decomposition) , plus the decomposition process can also pull nitrogen, that otherwise would have been needed by the plants, from the soil.

I hope that makes sense

[SnooziSuzi]

Thanks Tee Gee,  I wasn't planning on putting anything into the soil until springtime, so there's a good 6 months for it to incorporate and rot down, so I think I'll spend the weekend putting it into my new beds.

Thanks for clearing that up for me  ;D