How do you cope without manure on your plot.

[STEVEB]

i use comfrey dug into each layer as i go,mustard seed as a green manure and the stinking nettle soup

[STEVEB]

[pigeonseed]

Do you think that communal composting might be a good idea for your site? I believe larger compost heaps get hotter and break down faster, so you might all benefit.

If it's hotter perhaps it will also break down any grass seeds/bindweed roots etc, which some allotmenteers might leave in.

Could help you all if you have to do without manure?

[compostfairy]

I'm not using manure this year either, but mainly because of the herbicide issues of last year. (Google Aminopyralid for info')
So...this year I am mostly using...home made compost, (I compost everything I can lay my hands on that will rot  ;)  ,last year's leafmould, spent hops from the local micro brewery, and Municipal Compost which is a great soil improver. Where an extra boost of feed is needed, I use pelleted chicken poo, plus seaweed meal, calcified seaweed, and comfrey. (I have a 2yr old bed of Bocking14 comfrey plants). I have layered one cut of leaves with last year's leafmould as an experiment for potting compost. I also use the wilted leaves as a direct feed/mulch, and also in comfrey liquid-has to be smelled to be believed  ::)  but it's good stuff!!

[kt.]

Thankyou for the replies so far.  I do use homemade compost but I do not have much of it even though I compost everything that I can.  Any leaf greens or veg waste is usually fed to the hens,  guinea pigs and rabbits.  After which there is not much left to compost. The quantity of compost produced is not enough to supply my plot all year.

At the moment,  as well as home made compost,  the 6X is front runner as an alternative substitute.  ;)

[electric landlady]

So far have been using lottie compost and green manure; also comfrey leaves and pongy comfrey water and a bit of fish blood & bone here and there. This combination seems to give ok results.

However have been wondering if my soil could do with a bit more oomph so will check out the 6x idea - thanks for this!

[asbean]

Beware - 6x stinks!  :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\