We got a pile of manure from some local stables (free to anyone who would barrow it away). We have put it in a sort of bay made with old wood. Should we cover it with old carpet, or let the air get to it? I take it we should leave it for a while before using it? it has lots of straw in it.
well i can only say what i've done with mine, its gone into a pile in a surround made of pallets, bit of cardboard on top and i'll leave it till it looks all crumbly, mines got a lot of straw in it too so need to wait for that to get gone!
before i made the surround I did have a load couple of barrow fulls of almost well rotted manure which i just dumped in a pile and popped a bit of cardboard on top.
I went to add that to my new pile and as i took the cardboard off the top i was met by masses of lovely worms all making light work of the pile.
i think the cardboard on top protects them from the sun so they can start right from the top of your pile and work they're way down to make lovely stuff :).
By all means cover it to keep some heat in but don't pile it too deep. I find in my midden, the worms make a great job up to about 18" to 2' down, but after that, it must be too inhospitable for them and they don't go there, so after getting on for twelve months standing I get nice crumbly stuff on top but two foot down it's as fresh as the day the horse made it. I fill the midden throughout the summer and let it stand through the winter (covered by old carpet), then in the early spring, I turn it out and leave it a few more months. I cover it mainly to keep the rain from making it a heavy, soggy mass. It's usually pretty good to use by early summer.
I have no idea from what you say of the quantity you are talking about. Our local stables drops off on site huge loads and we leave it for the crew to take their own off to their plot.
It, if left will rot away nicely and leave the straw at the top, like a pie.
If we take the stuff off to our plots we cover it and the lot with the help of worms and added vegetable matter rots better and quicker when covered. Black plastic or in dalek style bins.
Turning the stack over with a fork every few weeks, whether covered or not helps to mingle the manure and spreads out the worms, who are the main workforce in making a pile of 5H1t into decent stuff.
Basically
Year one use for things like courgettes and squash
Year two for potatoes
Year three for onions.
It will continue to rot and the volume will diminish. It is an on going task.....
Thanks everyone for your helpful advice- it's only about 8 wheelbarrows full at the moment, so not too big a heap- I shall cover it with old carpet and remember to give it the occasional stir.
You've just reminded me of one of my favourite jobs climbing in one muck bin in wellies and forking the stuff into the other bin,turning I'm told helps it to rot frankly I'd do it anyway as I enjoy it.Sad but true.
We have two plots and build a rough wooden enclosure for our muck ,every couple of years we swap plots and then grow spuds (this year)or courgettes(last year)on the site of the dismantled bin.Some folk swear by covering ,others not so it's whatever works best for you
Quote from: macmac on March 21, 2010, 23:07:29
You've just reminded me of one of my favourite jobs climbing in one muck bin in wellies and forking the stuff into the other bin,turning I'm told helps it to rot frankly I'd do it anyway as I enjoy it.
There was me thinking that you were going to say that if it went over the wellies oooh what a feeling. Just like treading grapes. ;D ;D ;D
Glad I've just read that. The young farmers are doing their annual muck haul this saturday. They bring a truck load to our allotments and charge 1.50 per barrow load. Their way of raising a bit of money!!!! Our way of getting good dung! ;D