Manure

[montbrayon]

 ???  Can someone please tell me what I should do with the manure I have for the plot?  This is the first time I will have put any on as I have only been "at it" for a couple of years.  Other  half says it needs to be dug in, as in a trench,  and then soil on top, I thought it was put on the top and then forked in?   ???

Any comments gratefully received. before I break my back digging it in?

Regards Montbrayon

PS hope I have posted this in the correct place as its my first posting!

[montbrayon]

[BarriedaleNick]

Either way really...

A double dig trench gets the nutrients down to root level and gives the soil a good turn over.  IMHO this is only really worth doing rarely if at all - but if your soil is compact and has not been worked for a while it is worth doing it and doing it well.
I top load - mainly in Spring.  It acts a mulch - keeping the winter dampness in the ground and supplies nutes as water washes through it and it breaks down..I have heavy clay soil so I am trying to build up a good layer of organics on the top....
Each to their own and to their own soil type!

[telboy]

montbrayon,
Difficult to reply w/o knowing some facts:-
Is the manure fresh or well rotted?
OH was correct if it was fresh.
Ideal time for manuring is in the Autumn. At this time the manure can be left on the top & the worms will do the work, or dug in.
For spuds, dig a spade depth trench & fork in 6".
Don't manure now for root crops.
I'm sure others will add info.. Hope your soil is friable - makes life so much easier!
Good luck!

[Tee Gee]

This is how I do it;

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Slide%20Shows/Soil%20preparation%20ss/soil%20preparation%20ss.html

Note; I usually do my digging in October/November so you will have to make some mental adjustments to this procedure  because you are doing it now.

[Unwashed]

Hi montbrayon, welcome to A4A.

You could do worse than putting the manure in the bottom of the potato trench - dig trench, half fill with manure, pop seed potato on top and fill trench back in.  If you have any left grow the squash on it.

[tonybloke]

welcome to a4a montbrayon.

spuds will appreciate manure in bottom of trench, pile the rest up, cover with water-proof membrane and leave to rot 'til next autumn

[lottie lou]

I am assuing that the manure is well rotted.  Would you still use it on spuds if it is delivered relatively steaming or would you simply cover and leave till autumn.

[Unwashed]

I am assuing that the manure is well rotted.  Would you still use it on spuds if it is delivered relatively steaming or would you simply cover and leave till autumn.

There's not much will tolerate really fresh manure, but yes, I'd have thought manure in the potato trench would encourage slugs and rot but that's not been my experience, and they love the acid conditions - you'll not get common scab with manure in the trench (or maybe that was the soot...).

[Tonythegardener]

 I have been digging in fresh animal manures for 30 years with no noticeable effect on the plants i.e no burnt roots.  What am I doing wrong?

[Robert_Brenchley]

You're Breaking the Rules, that's what!

[Tonythegardener]

 ;D ;D ;D

[montbrayon]

Thanks for the replies chaps (and chappets)  :)

Tee Gee, great video and informative thanks for that.

The manure we have is well rotted and after a general discussion with OH, I have decided to go down the potato trench route (root - get it?)   ;D I think it will conserve my energy (and my back) to put the manure in the trench when I put the spuds in, sounds good to me!

I think I will also do the dirty deed in the autumn as many have suggested rather than spring next time.

As my old mum used to say "you live and learn"

Thanks again for all your help  :


Montbrayon

[chriscross1966]

the fresh/well rotted manure only really matters for pig or cow manure, they're both too strong. Horse manure needs tpo be rotted if it is stable manure (the urine in it will burn plants and then the straw will rob nitrogen just to be perverse), but field manure can be used straight away (you have to pick the droppings off a long-term horse pasture or the stupid things wioll make themselves ill eating theior own dung by accident). It does benefit a bit for being stacked a couple of months but as theirs no straw top rot down or urine to damage plants you can just spread it on....

Chicken manure is a whole different pile of worms though, that neeeds rotting and TBF it needs mixing with a lot of something else like shredded hedge prunings...

[sunloving]

before you do any of that you could do a bean test to make sure that its not contaminated with aminopyralid.

Fill one pot with a mix of manure and compost and one pot with compost only. Label!!

Put the seeds of any bean (runner, french) in the pots.

Wait for the true leaves.

If the one in the manure is spindly and curled dont use the manure.
x sunloving

[antipodes]

As I am a bit of a lazy cow, I get the manure in the autumn, gradually spread it out over the plot during winter, on warmer spells, then in spring when I plant, as I dig over to weed and plant, I find that it gets turned into the first spade's depth of soil in any case.  I do tend to put a bit over the potatoes when I plant them (I don't dig a trench for spuds, just make enough room with a spade to get the spuds about 25 cm down into the soil and then that spade space I fill with manure and soil).

Seems to be just as good as anything else...