Manure

[Munchkin]

Hi everyone  :)- I have not posted for a while!  we got our allotment in June and have had a busy but fruitful/vegful summer.  We are now at the stage of planning for next year and working out what needs manured. 

We have a source of cow manure - but how well rotted does it have to be to be put on the beds now as mulch?  does anyone have any recommendations for manure vintage? :P

Many thanks
Helen, Steve and baby munchkin

[Munchkin]

[chriszog]

Not used cow manure myself but with horse I wait until it goes completly black and has no real smell apart from that musty manure smell if you know what I mean?
Be careful if it is fresh it will burn most things.
Regards
Chris

[Munchkin]

Thank you for your replies Chris and Wardy.

We are not sure how old the cow poo is that we have access to, but there is plenty room on our patch at the moment to leave a pile for a while. 

Helen

[growmore]

Cow manure is good stuff a bit awkward to handle when wet,great when dry ..Is it from stock yard ? because this usually contains some straw as well which makes it easier to handle. Its great for under tomatoes  if You are growing them in beds or outside..cheers Jim..

[keef]

I cant get cow manure for love nor money this year, where abouts are you?. I always dig it straight in, and never have any problems. I you have some left over make sure you cover over the pile for next year, or else it goes like concrete over the summer.

[mellor]

I just got hold of a load of manure form the bottom of the chicken sheds. Will this be any good or is it a bit too potent???

[keef]

Should be OK, thats what i'm using this year because of the lack of cow shiiite. Use it sparingly though.

[the_snail]

I suppose cow manure is I deal for your Runner beans. If you cannot get cow muck make a compost trench. That is a trench with all kitchen scraps and weeds put in then covered up so that they rot down. Then whilst they are rotting down plant your runner beans on the top the get all the goodie that the rotting process gives off :)

The_Snail

[lancelotment]

Munchkin, I was able to get hold of cow doos a few years back when I lived in Nantwich.  There were a few small local dairy farms up the road and I spent one happy weekend barrowing 14 loads down the Audlem Road into a head wind.  Not sure which was more fragrant, me or the muck!  The muck I got was a good straw mix from the crew yard that the cows came into at milking time.   I found newish doos was too wet and only really looked for older stuff that had dried out a bit.  Not all of it was completely black though and the garden seemed to love it.  I'd use it again. 

   I did mix some in my compost bin with some pigeon doos from a local loft.  Best bit of compost I've ever made.  Lance

[RobinOfTheHood]

Anybody used pig poo?