Topic: Manure question please.

[pookienoodle]

One of my fellow plotholders took me today to his "secret stash"
At a local farm there is a huge heap(several tons?) of a mixture of horse and pig manure.
It was originally kept in a barn for a year or 2 and then moved to the site it is now(on a huge concrete plinth)
some of the manure has been there for 6 or 7 years.
It is now very dark brown/black in colour with no trace of manure visible,with a layer of grass and nettles growing on it.
I can take as much as I like.
My question is can I plant directly in this like compost? or use it to dig in/mulch?
my soil is clay and is rock solid and so hard to dig what is the best method with this.
I have a couple of raised beds but that's it.
All opinions welcome.
 :)

[manicscousers]

grab it in both hands  ;D ;D
that's what we filled our 16 raised beds with, we added feed when we planted as we weren't sure of nutrients, it's like black gold  ;D

[pookienoodle]

Thanks,
Is there anything I can't plant directly in it?

[small]

I had access to a stash of pure old horse poo which I spread for the growing season last year.  I grew everything, including roots, in it, and mostly all was fine. BUT for the first year ever I had white rot on my onions - whether spores had survived in the manure, I don't know, and it may have been coincidence.....check with the person who shared his secret with you, see what he uses it for.

[pookienoodle]

I had access to a stash of pure old horse poo which I spread for the growing season last year.  I grew everything, including roots, in it, and mostly all was fine. BUT for the first year ever I had white rot on my onions - whether spores had survived in the manure, I don't know, and it may have been coincidence.....check with the person who shared his secret with you, see what he uses it for.

He has only just got his first plot too,he knows even less than me. ;D
He just happened to have a farmer friend.

[Digeroo]

Do test it by growing peas or beans in it before you put anything expensive in it.  There have been cases of contamination by weedkillers and it does not seem to breakdown in manure. 

[saddad]

Assuming it passes the "bean" contamination test I would take it all and top dress all my plots to as deep as I would go... plant everything straight into it and smile for the rest of the season...  :)

[grannyjanny]

If it's all old stuff, more than 3 years shouldn't it be safe re aminopyralid contamination?

[Vortex]

Only if it's been regularly exposed to the air, sunlight, and rain. Aminopyralid only breaks down under these conditions, so even if it has been contaminated problems would only likely occur this year, and it doesn't necissarily seriously affect the crop - we've had potatoes, broad beans, and french beans affected in the past, and only the later were seriosuly affected in terms of yield.
In the second year there were only residual affects in some plants and not enough to affect the yield - but manure from the centre of the pile still had the capability to affect plants (potatoes) in year 3.

[pookienoodle]

It older than  3 years and has been exposed to the elements for at least 2 years.
I am still doing the bean test just to be sure though.
I am going back for some more on the weekend,hope my poor little cars suspension can cope.

[grannyjanny]

The car should be OK. We transported 150+ bags of 4 year old cow manure & 200+ bags of rubbish from our plot The things we do for out plots ;D ;D ;D.

[pookienoodle]

The car should be OK. We transported 150+ bags of 4 year old cow manure & 200+ bags of rubbish from our plot The things we do for out plots ;D ;D ;D.

you haven't seen my car,filling the tank with petrol doubles its value ;D ;D