I've just taken delivery of lots of things, rhubarb, raspberries etc, and it says to put well rotted manure into the hole before planting. However, having only had the allotment for 3 weeks, I don't have any. What is my best option? Would multi-purpose compost bought from a shop be OK? Should I just plant them into my soil as it is? Or can I do something else?
Also, am I too late to manure my beds his year, or could I do it for things that won't be going in till May?
I'm interested in this too as have just got some rhubarb (another post). I can get hold of manure but it won't be well rotted yet. Would it be worth getting a bag of chicken manure pellets instead?
hi, if you don't have access to old manure just plant them, and surface feed or mulch during the growing season,
Quote from: emma h on February 06, 2006, 18:48:03
I've just taken delivery of lots of things, rhubarb, raspberries etc, and it says to put well rotted manure into the hole before planting. However, having only had the allotment for 3 weeks, I don't have any. What is my best option? Would multi-purpose compost bought from a shop be OK? Should I just plant them into my soil as it is? Or can I do something else?
Also, am I too late to manure my beds his year, or could I do it for things that won't be going in till May?
Bought compost is only really OK for a short term fix, ideal for a soil conditioner but it soon runs out of steam.
If you can get any well aged manure from a farm or the like you can get 50l bags of the stuff from most garden centres, this is a bit more expensive but will last longer than compost.
Six X seem to be in most centers:
http://www.6-x.co.uk/products.htm
No connection to the company.
Jerry
I wouldn't recommend planting rhubarb, rasps etc without planting their feet in a good manure base. They're going to be there for some time and you DO want a good crop. Rhubarb seems to need endless quantities of manure. We have a large water butt with manure and water added which we use at least forthightly when the rhubarb is in full swing but the crowns are alsoo planted with a manure base.
You can buy bags of manure as sanders suggests.
I didn't have any manure last year (my first year on my allotment) and my rhubarb crop was huge. I did nothing to it, didn't even water it. Matter of fact, I didn't have any manure (or compost) at all last year and got huge corn, tomato, pumpkin, and courgette crops....
May have been manured the year before? Don't know, but the gross feeders really respond to manure.
my suggestion would be to plant them, them put a good mulch of horse manure over them.
my motto is get it in and get it cooked and eaten.
peterpiper