Topic: Another horse manure question

[TheEssexYorkshireman]

Hi. I have a 'clean' manure supplier and am intending to use it on my plot this year once the season is over. The question is .. can I spread it over the ground in say October and let it overwinter, then plant in the spring? I intend to dig it in before planting but wondered if it would 'old' enough.

Thanks
TEYman

[Bjerreby]

Reply from the Danish Yorkshireman........

I personally prefer to put horse manure in the compost.

How fresh is the stuff when you get it? Probably fresh, right?

How early in the year do you intend sowing out? Folks on this forum get very eager in January, and I'd say that is too early if you have put out the manure in October.

I short, if you spread fresh manure in October, I personally wouldn't sow anything in it before late April. But then, I use compost and seaweed. :)

[ChrisBro]

Yeah Ive read on a few sites now that the maure should be left in a pile for a least 6 months before use, so october to spring should be OK I should think however I am very new to all this and its only what I have read so see what other more experienced people have to say on the subject.

Seaweed is supposed to be great I was reading somewhere that any you have left over you can put in a barrel filled with water and leave it for 2 weeks I think it was then water it down 9 parts water to 1 part emulsion and use it to spray on your crops supposed to make a huge difference. We have a chap at our local beach who collect seaweed regularly, I see him every month or so with his barrow on the beach lol filling it with the stuff he swears by it says its better than any horse poo on the planet lol

[Bjerreby]

I am a big seaweed fan, but I know not everyone can get it.

I do the seaweed in a water butt thing, and it is great. But just for guidance, my RHS Gardening Encyclopedia gives the chemcial compositions of manure and seaweed, and guess what? Seaweed has nearly 5 times the nitrogen, twice the phosphate, and 5 times the potash as manure. Furthermore, it contains all the trace elements that plants like.........and it is free! You even get a good walk on the beach in the deal..........and you don't have to worry about pesticides.

Chris........go get some seaweed.  :)

[ChrisBro]

I am a big seaweed fan, but I know not everyone can get it.

I do the seaweed in a water butt thing, and it is great. But just for guidance, my RHS Gardening Encyclopedia gives the chemcial compositions of manure and seaweed, and guess what? Seaweed has nearly 5 times the nitrogen, twice the phosphate, and 5 times the potash as manure. Furthermore, it contains all the trace elements that plants like.........and it is free! You even get a good walk on the beach in the deal..........and you don't have to worry about pesticides.

Chris........go get some seaweed.  :)

Lol sounds like a project this weekend with the kids and a few black bags, theres tons and tons of the stuff on one of our local fishermans beaches I mean tons you can hardly see the sand anymore because of it, Do you have to let it rot down before you start planting?

[cornykev]

Not to poo poo the idea but I think you have to ask permisson before you take it, I'd just take it but I think it was worth mentioning. Essex only u can tell if its old enoughand don't put it on your roots bed.  ;D ;D ;D

[trudie]

Yeah Ive read on a few sites now that the maure should be left in a pile for a least 6 months before use, so october to spring should be OK I should think however I am very new to all this and its only what I have read so see what other more experienced people have to say on the subject.

Seaweed is supposed to be great I was reading somewhere that any you have left over you can put in a barrel filled with water and leave it for 2 weeks I think it was then water it down 9 parts water to 1 part emulsion and use it to spray on your crops supposed to make a huge difference. We have a chap at our local beach who collect seaweed regularly, I see him every month or so with his barrow on the beach lol filling it with the stuff he swears by it says its better than any horse poo on the planet lol

hi ya i live about ten min walk from beach so can u just go and help yourself to the stuff

[ChrisBro]

Yeah Ive read on a few sites now that the maure should be left in a pile for a least 6 months before use, so october to spring should be OK I should think however I am very new to all this and its only what I have read so see what other more experienced people have to say on the subject.

Seaweed is supposed to be great I was reading somewhere that any you have left over you can put in a barrel filled with water and leave it for 2 weeks I think it was then water it down 9 parts water to 1 part emulsion and use it to spray on your crops supposed to make a huge difference. We have a chap at our local beach who collect seaweed regularly, I see him every month or so with his barrow on the beach lol filling it with the stuff he swears by it says its better than any horse poo on the planet lol

hi ya i live about ten min walk from beach so can u just go and help yourself to the stuff

Hello me too its just down the road literally got a busy weekend for the kids ha ha ha revenge is sweet........

[Bjerreby]

Mine is all Baltic seaweed, where the water has just half the salt content as the Atlantic Ocean. I don't bother rinsing the weed at all, but you might consider rinsing.

Only take weed that is washed up, don't rip it off rocks.

We get most weed in the autumn, which is when I stuff my water butt and get a year's supply of emulsion for foliar spraying. Otherwise, fresh seaweed is great for mulching, the salt keeps slugs away, and I "earth up" my potatoes with it; it keeps the ground moist better than soil does. I also put about 10% fresh seaweed into my compost heaps.

I am lucky enough to have miles of shoreline where the weed has washed up year after year, and the highest water levels have made banks of old weed that is now well rotted. I mix that with compost and sand to make potting compost.

Try googling "lazy beds", and you'll get an interesting Wiki reference to growing in seaweed beds on the Aran islands and Hebrides.

[grahamjohn]

Depends how good your soil is in the first place.
Fresh manure on starved dusty soil is better than nothing.
However, fresh manure is best left to rot down in the compost heap prior to growing veg in it.
The reason being it is very acidic and only tomatoes and potatoes could cope with it. An absolute no no for brassicas, carrots and parsnips etc.
good luck, Graham

[TheEssexYorkshireman]

Thanks. The problem is that the top half of my second plot is almost all clay (the bottom half is reasonable soil) and I'm trying to break it up and add some goodness. I thought that by covering with manure, letting it rot down then digging it in would help to 'unbind' the clay. The poo will be very fresh but I can leave it longer if necessary.

TEYman

[1066]

Hi the manure will definitely help with the heavy clay. I've used loads on my plot and the difference is noticeable, but it wasn't as fresh as yours. I guess if you planned to plant spuds in that area after the manure then it will be fine

1066