Allotments 4 All
Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: clumsy on October 28, 2014, 18:03:30
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I've got some very fresh horse manure can I steep the manure straight into a water butt and leave it till spring? Plus can I also do that with hops?
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I can't answer for the fresh horse manure, but I assume that the hops are spent hops from a brewery.
Spent hops contain very little in the way of useful nutrients, but they are a great soil conditioner. They are best dug in to the soil (we've had great results on sticky clay), but they won't be much use for liquid manure.
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Seconded for the hops - we get bags of them and they are great for breaking up clay/conditioning the soil.
Personally I would leave the manure to over winter, covered, in a stack and use it next year in tea or dig it in. It doesn't need to steep for months .. beware though it will stink to high heaven!!
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You certainly can make 'horse' tea but you won't be needing it until much later...soaking it all winter is just wasteful and these sort of 'teas' are used highly diluted rate so little will go long time!
Just like others have said...spread it on your ground or compost it bin to use later on. You can save small amount to use later on for the tea too...
Take smaller amount of the stuff (half a bucket?) and put it somewhere where rain can't get it...and allow it to dry out but not rot, you might need to spread it on tray or something. Come next spring...put it in your brewing bag or container with some nettle tops and/or comfry (you could add even some liquid seaweed too) and you have ingredients of 'tea' that will do good for many plants.. :icon_cheers:
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Thank you for the advice. Ok I will leave until spring.