Ok so my 3-4 tonnes of manure arrived....it was supposed to be 2-3 tonnes....but he sid he loaded on everything he could. i'm not complaining....but it's just so much "nuts" to shift.
here's what it looks like so far...i've probably shifted about 10-12 wheelbarrow fulls so far so the garden...and there's still sooooo much left.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/wahaj17/manure5.jpg)
he's it filled into the raised beds
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/wahaj17/manure4.jpg)
and another picture of that section filled in. it's about 4 inches worth all over....if there's any left obviously i'll pile some more on allover.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/wahaj17/manure3.jpg)
i went to car boot sale today...and for £10 i bought all these pits and seed trays...a fan greenhouse heater/cooler....a huge role of weed supressing membrane and a bottle of greenhouse cleaner/disinfectant.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/wahaj17/manure2.jpg)
and! omg.....lidls are doign incredible cheap bare root plants. you should all go there and spend spend spend! i bought these 5 bare root shrubs for 99p each. they were also doing trees for £3.99! about 6 feet tall with loads of buds on....or apples, pears....cherries. they also had small 99p plants of black/red currents....hibiscus....loads of different types or roses all 99p each.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/wahaj17/manure1.jpg)
and so i'll now be going back to shift some more manure into my garden. i don't need to dig it in right? i mean i've already placed a good 6 inches of topsoil on the beds before the manure.....i'm assuming the frost and worms will break it all down for me over winter right?
that's the way we do it, lovely crops next year :)
Enjoyed reading about your garden and shopping!
;D thanks peeps.
Very envoius of your soil it looks great even before you beefed it up!
I went out on saturday to plant stuff and it was like quicksand! boggy clay! Drove up to get some compost today to try and dry the soil out a little and the wind was so bad i could not lift a full shovel of the stuff before it all mostly went away.
DOH
Quote from: cambourne7 on October 31, 2006, 18:18:14
Very envoius of your soil it looks great even before you beefed it up!
I went out on saturday to plant stuff and it was like quicksand! boggy clay! Drove up to get some compost today to try and dry the soil out a little and the wind was so bad i could not lift a full shovel of the stuff before it all mostly went away.
DOH
honestly...mine is exactly the same! and because i have some very mature conifers for a hedge and a huge cherry tree, the soil is very dry in some part and very wet in others. and it's very very clayey. if it's rained then i can't dig anything without feeling like i'm lifting a tonne with every shovel.
the soil in my beds is top soil that i put in there...about 6 inches worth...and on top of that i've put on a few inches of manure.....that's the only reason i made the raised beds because of the bad soil.
it's cost me a lot....£150 to be price for all the 3 tonnes of top soil and the 4 tonnes of manure...and it's taken so much hard work to shift it all. most of the manure is still on the drive....because i don't have time...till tommorow to shift some more.
BUT the way i see it....i wo'nt have to do this for a good few years....or use any fertiliser on my plants in the bed. and water them less...and not have to provide as much mulch.