Yes the madness has finally really sunk in I think. I got dead excited over the weekend because I finally managed to get my hands on some...poo.
Horse poo.
Form the local stables.
They have 3 tonnes of it waiting in a corner of the yard!! So they almost cried with joy when I asked if I could have some. Unfortunately I only hauled away 4 big bin bags full so it was a short lived jubilation.
It was so heavy!! and HOT! absolutely steaming! the kids were laughing their heads off. I guess I probably came away with at least 60-80 kilos, I could hardly lift the bags from the barrow into the car boot. It is now sitting in a nice heap on the allotment and I can't wait until I can go and get the next batch!! I am determined to have great veg this season as last year's harvest was almost null and for me the only way to get there is with POO!!
Next weekend I will be down there shoveling some on the fruit, onion and spud beds and also where the peas will go. Next lot will go where the tomatoes and squashes will be.
I never thought I would be so pleased by a pile of s**t...has any one else suffered from this particular psychiatric disorder???? ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Anyone who doesn't get excited by the sight of a large pile of manure obviously doesn't do much gardening.
Are you kidding? My annual trip to the local stables is one of the highlights of my year. It is incredibly exciting loading up the car with hot steaming manure, knowing that in about nine months' time it will be nicely rotted down and ready to go on the allotment. Yes, I know I should probably rot it down for longer, but I haven't got unlimited space and sometimes one just has to make do with what one has got. My system is to empty the manure heap in the spring - or get it down low enough that it is worth putting the remainder in bags, to be used as and when - fill it up (we are probably talking late/spring early summer by now) and then leave it to rot down until the following spring.
I use strong builders' rubble bags - I am surprised that you found the ordinary bags strong enough. My old car used to take about 30: my new car unfortunately is smaller, and will only take around 20, even with the back seat down. But two trips just about gives me enough for my needs.
We've got a stables on-site and some weekends it's like a party at the manure heap, with queues of happy folk filling up their barrows & carting the stuff away! A great time is had by all!!
;D ;D ;D have to get mine delivererd now cos my son uses my car to go work in ... don't think his chums would like the pong of poo ;D ...
My mate got a couple of his blokes to drop off mine in a pick up truck, so I didn't even have to get my hands dirty, but you would think the lazy buggers would have spread it on the soil for me. ;D ;D ;D
Looking back through my diary we picked up 320 bags last year. With no trailer we do it in 15-20 bag journeys. 20 bags and the bottom of the car scrapes on the track. People who ride in my car are used to the smell now, though I do clean it from time to time.
I bless the day we were given a little trailer. That thing has trailed more hos muck than anything else. :o
I cannot understand how the inside of my car still gets so filthy ::) ;D
hee hee hee, pleased to see that the poo obsession is a widespread phenomenon.
I could only get 4 bags in my boot, but it didn't smell at all, I am pleased to say. Still I did close up the bags pretty well. Next time I will try filling my big black bin: it closes airtight and maybe I can roll it down the hill to the car :D
Now the big job will be spreading the stuff quickly so it rots down for mid march and those early spuds :P
good manure shouldn't really smell - it is only grass after all - ours have only just been delivered which is late really but it feels so good to get in on
I don't bother digging mine in, that tends to happen when I plant the spuds and the worms do the rest
btw antipodes, don't put too much on the fruit else you'll have excess leaf growth instead of fruit - fruit prefers potash
Gosh I am excited just reading about it!!!
I haven't got mine yet! Really late for me but - hey I will just have to get on with this next week!
In the real world where I work they would be appalled at my excitement over a bit of horse poo!
Old Bird ;D ;D
Quote from: Baccy Man on January 07, 2008, 13:25:11
Anyone who doesn't get excited by the sight of a large pile of manure obviously doesn't do much gardening.
Quite, totally agree. Soon you'll be assessing the quality from different stables and animals. I jest not.
As with fellow members above I too used to drive along to a local stables and pick up the manure in rubbish bags (a big estate car with back seats down and covered in tarpaulin) and used to carry back about 30 sacks.
After a year of this I calculated that it would be cheaper in petrol costs (and definitely in time if you put a price on it) to get the manure delivered. Anywhere from £40 to £60 a load (probably about 2 tonnes) are rates I've commonly seen advertised.
Since moving my now local stables say they will deliver from for free! Ask your stables antipodes and see if you can do a deal.
Got my first ever trailer load of well rotted manure delivered to the plot the other day - it almost made me feel like a real allotmenteer......
Spent Sunday spreading it onto the beds - have managed to put my neck out and can hardly walk or get out of the chair - yes, I am a real allotmenteer now!