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Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: gardening jan on January 01, 2009, 20:02:13

Title: Advice Needed!!!!
Post by: gardening jan on January 01, 2009, 20:02:13
Tomorrow I'm collecting some horse manure for my new allotment and I was wondering shall dig over the beds and spread the manure over and cover. Or shall I just spread and cover and dig before sowing? (There is a few weeds, but they're not too bad).
Title: Re: Advice Needed!!!!
Post by: grotbag on January 01, 2009, 20:07:53
hi jan,me i would dig over and spread  manure on top and let the frosts and worms do their stuff.
Title: Re: Advice Needed!!!!
Post by: manicscousers on January 01, 2009, 20:10:55
hiya,jan..if your ground is like ours, it's not diggable..when we started, we dug out the big weeds, covered the beds with thick card and piled manure/soil on top, then covered the whole lot, by spring, the cardboard had virtually melted and the worms had mixed the manure in..the soil was warm and ready for planting into  :)
Title: Re: Advice Needed!!!!
Post by: saddad on January 01, 2009, 20:11:39
Good advice from the Manics there Jan...  ;D
Title: Re: Advice Needed!!!!
Post by: Trevor_D on January 01, 2009, 20:14:32
What I used to do is: pre-Christmas, trench-dig the bed and incorporate the manure; post-Christmas (when the ground was too wet/cold/frosty for digging) spread it as a deep mulch over the top, then dig it in during the spring.

But we now live in uncertain times....

Some (most? quite a bit? hardly any? I might get sued if I'm too particular with my choice of words!) horse manure has been contaminated with aminopyralid and can do more harm than good. If you're sure your's is OK, go ahead. If in doubt, spread it on the top and rotovate it in thoroughly several times.

When you say "cover" - with what? If you're using it as a mulch, that is a cover.
Title: Re: Advice Needed!!!!
Post by: gardening jan on January 01, 2009, 20:30:10
Thanks for all the advice. I thought I would cover it with plastic, thinking it would warm it up.
Title: Re: Advice Needed!!!!
Post by: ceres on January 01, 2009, 20:30:48
To add to Trevor's excellent advice on manure, do a search on this forum for aminopyralid and also Google it.  
Title: Re: Advice Needed!!!!
Post by: gardening jan on January 01, 2009, 20:43:13
I am collecting the manure from my bothers stables, what do I need to ask him to insure the manure has not been contaminated by aminopyralid?
Title: Re: Advice Needed!!!!
Post by: ceres on January 01, 2009, 21:10:05
Stable manure, IMHO, is the highest risk kind because it is difficult to trace the origin of the animals' feed.  If you brother buys in hay or silage or grazes the horses on pasture, any of these could have been sprayed.  The only way to check is to go back to the feed suppliers/land owners and ask them if the grass/hay pasture was sprayed and if so with what.  If they say they don't spray with anything, they're probably lying, so best to avoid.  If they can't or won't tell you, best to avoid again.   
Title: Re: Advice Needed!!!!
Post by: gardening jan on January 01, 2009, 21:42:54
Many thanks for the imformation i think it my just be a friendy visit tomorrow and I'll start looking for spent mushroom compost instead!
Title: Re: Advice Needed!!!!
Post by: nilly71 on January 02, 2009, 07:45:46
Quote from: gardening jan on January 01, 2009, 21:42:54
Many thanks for the imformation i think it my just be a friendy visit tomorrow and I'll start looking for spent mushroom compost instead!

Where abouts are you?
If your anywhere near Romford, then i know a place local.

Neil