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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: gwynleg on May 15, 2019, 10:09:08

Title: Runner beans and not well composted manure
Post by: gwynleg on May 15, 2019, 10:09:08
So I’m building raised beds. Ive been using manure to fill them but have now reached the end of the good stuff! I have partially composted manure left and wondered about using that to half/three quarters fill a raised bed, then used brought compost for the top layer. Ive never really used bean trenches etc for runners but I thought this seemed like a similar principle. Do you think this would work or will the manure still composting take nutrients away~?
Thanks! Lovely weather makes me think that planting of my beans is not too far away...
Title: Re: Runner beans and not well composted manure
Post by: Tee Gee on May 15, 2019, 11:44:40
Quote
do you think this would work or will the manure still composting take nutrients away~?

In a word Yes!

The main reason for manuring is for moisture retention rather than feeding!

If beans suffer dry conditions you can have problems with 'Flower set' resulting in fewer beans and the few you would get become stringy sooner!

So go for it is my opinion!
Title: Re: Runner beans and not well composted manure
Post by: gwynleg on May 15, 2019, 17:30:35
Thanks TeeGee. I feel in good hands when I see your posts! I will go for it!
Title: Re: Runner beans and not well composted manure
Post by: Tee Gee on May 15, 2019, 18:01:53
Quote
will the manure still composting take nutrients away

What you are thinking of is; compost needs 'nitrogen' to assist the composting process and as you are planting legumes ( beans/peas) these produce their own nitrogen (little nodules on the root system) so you should have no problem!

In fact some people only remove the tops from their beans/peas and leave the roots in the soil at the end of the season to replenish any lost nitrogen.

Here's wishing you every success with your bean crop!
Title: Re: Runner beans and not well composted manure
Post by: Vinlander on May 16, 2019, 08:50:56
It's standard practice to give runner beans a trench of raw kitchen waste instead of composted - they seem perfectly capable of dealing with it. The same goes for courgettes.

Apparently fresh manure can be more concentrated and excess nitrate can "burn" roots.

I have had little experience until very recently - and I have been sidestepping the problem by only using "too fresh" manure as well-diluted "tea" (mostly just nitrogen and potash) and assuming the residue is then safe to use normally (for eg. runner beans - especially if they mainly want the fibre) - and leaving the rest to rot. A recent post on the subject produced no warnings from the forum.

What I've never understood is why fresh stuff can't be diluted by simply using less and mixing it in well - though that would mean less overall fertiliser for the "greedy" first stage of a rotation and possibly requiring another application for the second one.

So is it all just about extra management?

Cheers.

PS. It's hard to break up the "golden nuggets" from fresh horse manure, but surely roots can simply grow around them? After all any plant that couldn't work around a dead animal would have been at a serious disadvantage for the last 130 million years.
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