Manure

[w00dy]

Going to pick up a load of sh...... ahem manure tommorow, how does everyone apply, id be interested to know, do you double dig it, surface dress it, dig in more for heavy feeders like onions than you do for light feeders, do you dig in now or leave it till spring assuming the manure is allready well rotted.

On the subject of Manure, i remember when we first got out allotment and my son who was then 7 picked up a chunk of manure and innocently asked "whats this dad?" "a horse egg" i explained, his puzzled expression prompted me to elaborate "horse poo son" the look on his face was priceless and his horse egg was retured to the pile post haste.

[w00dy]

[Robert_Brenchley]

Do a bean test before you do anything else! I'd cover it and leave it till spring, then probably use it as a mulch. Whether you do that or dig it in is a matter of preference.

[chriscross1966]

Do a bean test as a matter of course if its stable manure, do one if you don't know the provenance if it's field manure. Field manure con tains little in the way of nutrients, I'd get it spread on the plot now and let the worms do the work for you. If it is stable manure then it will contain a significant amount of nitrogen so I'd leave it until spring to avoid the leaching out of that nitrogen.... however it does deppend a bit on your soil.... if it's sandy or heavy clay then the improvement in structure would outweigh the nutrient loss in my mind ...

chrisc

[Amazingrotavator(Derby)]

What I do is rotavate the plot then spread the manure all over then rotavate it in in spring.

[w00dy]

ok picked it up today, the guy i got it from doesnt grow anything, he just has a few horses and small field where they graze, so im pretty confident that i should be ok, i will of coarse still do a bean test just to be 100% sure before i fling any on my plot, i have a small rotarvator so i reckon ill leave it in the pile for now and then rotavate in late winter early spring, going to have a go at show onions next year so maybee ill prepare that bed now then add more muck in the spring. 

[tizzy]

whats a bean test?

[plainleaf2]

you plant bean seed in manure that is questionable if plant dies it might be contaminated and it needs further testing.

[1066]

Tizzy - if you search on this site you will come up with loads of info - here's 1 (of many) on the subject, hope this helps

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,49608.0.html

1066

[realfood]

I recently carried out the test on manure that I knew only too well was contaminated, and posted the photos here:-http://www.growyourown.info/page164.html

[cornykev]

I recently recieved confirmation of a test kit being sent to me  testing for aminopyralid.       ;D ;D ;D

[manicscousers]

we planted some broadies in some of the recently delivered manure plus some in ordinary compost, the ones in muck have blackened leaves, don't know if it's maybe too fresh so have sent for a testing kit from our 'friends'  ;D