fresh manure-what to do?

[vee]

Hello everyone! What a wonderful and interesting site. It's definitely the best and I have learned lots from it. I am a new allotment holder and I am still struggling with the dreaded couch grass and brambles nettles etc. I have managed to clear enough to plant this season. I have been digging on and off since October. I have made two compost bins as well. What I wanted to ask was about fresh manure which is still steaming... Can I do anything with it other than put it in my compost heap for later this year? I know that it burns new growth but would it be worth digging in to where I'm going to put my poatoes? I've never had any manure before so it's all new to me. There's just this enormous pile of it at our allotment site and it seems too good to not use. (That's all we do have at our site by the way, no other facilities)
Thank you

[vee]

[Wicker]

First of all, vee, welcome to A4A - you're right it is a great site, even oldies like myself can learn a lot from listening to other people's experiences- and you may get a laugh into the bargain.

Personally, would never use fresh manure/dung on the lottie, preferring to let it lie for at least a year or longer (too many weed seeds still active). But this is a good link (its the BBC) to tell you about manure http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A2339624.

Similar question has come up before so a trawl thru the site may come up with more info for you. 

[ina]

You found the right place vee. Welcome on board.

As a matter of fact, I was just using the search function on this board about fresh manure. I remember there was one plant I was planning use it for but couldn't remember which one it was that likes the fresh stuff. I found it and it was courgette.

Good luck with your lottie. This will be your first growing season, so after all the hard work clearing it, the fun can begin for you. Good luck.

[wardy]

I'm going to try planting spuds in fresh manure.  I know I shouldn;t but I don't want to dig.  I'll report back on my findings

[Mrs Ava]

I use steaming horse poo when planting my squashes.  I dig a planting hole and fill it with the hot stuff, then pile the soil back over and plant them squash plantlet into that.  They can look a little sickly for a week or 2, but then, OMG do they run and grow like the clappers.  It has never failed me yet, and on our site we have no plumbed in water, so they only receive what mother nature provides, and still I have a pile of 'orange acorns' in store to use from last years huge harvest!  ;D

[wardy]

Actually been onto the plot for the first time I hurt my back and I found my manure pile frozen.  i had hoped to chuck some of it on the plot but it was rock solid.  When it does thaw out a bit I hope to be able to use it to plant spuds in.  Glad to hear EJ that I can plant squashes in it too  :)

[vee]

Thanks very much for your replies and welcome. I think I will stack as much as possible in my compost bin and also try the squash idea - perhaps on top of the compost heap?

[johcharly]

Wardy I am thinking of putting fresh horse manure in bottom of my potato trenches  I was wondering if it would be too strong what do you think??

[wardy]

I've watched The Allotment DVD where a gardener (not an actor) chucked down sheets of cardboard on a new plot (on top of the cut down weeds, then he chucked on unrotted horse muck, then a sheet of black plastic (or you could sheet mulch) then he cut a hole an chucked his seed tatty in.  He said you can earth em up on top of the mulch round the emerging greenery, eg grass clippings, more manure, compost or even human hair  ;D           It was just to demonstrate that you can plant something even before you do anything in the way of digging etc.  Most folks are dead keen on planting something to start with  ;D         EJ says she plants squashes in fresh manure so I'll give that a go as well. 

[johcharly]

I think I will risk it , at least with a couple of rows, should act like an experiment, then if they go t*ts up I'll know better for next year.

[wardy]

that's what I thought  ;D

[simon404]

hello hello don't know how to work smiley thingies, i'd just say - dig your trench, put your fresh muck in but cover with a couple of inches of soil and place your spuds into that ie so they're not in direct contact with the fresh muck.

[johcharly]

cheers simon I'll try that, by the way you just click on the smileys above where you type the post.

[johcharly]

P.S It's the photos etc underneath the name on the left hand side of posts that I struggle with .

[derbex]

I did some of spuds with the cardboard and fresh manure last year -they grew fine -the mice loved them >:(