The more I read about compost the more confused I get! I know about the usual waste compost and intend to have 3 bins on my new allotment and a leaf mould bin, also thinking about a bokashi bin.
However, despite having 5 horses I have NO well rotted manure. The farmer keeps taking it away. So I have bitten his hands off and now in a year I should have some nice rotted stuff. ;D
My question is: as I have so much of the stuff and a constant supply, can I use some fresh stuff on my plot now? I have to say I do not intend to plant a thing until I have got the soil up to a reasonable condition. At the mo it's as hard as rock full of old cereal crop and weeds. I just wondered if I could spread some of the smelly stuff on after I have given the plot a first dig? Mostly, to give it some decent texture and try to keep some moisture in the soil.
Why not create a "hot bed"? Make a container say around 3-4 ft deep (or whatever is convenient for you). fill it with fresh manure, then when full, add about 6 inches of garden centre compost (or soil) on top. and place a "cold frame" or two on top. You can then grow more tender plants in there to bring them on early. The heat is provided below, and the "hotness" of the nitrogen is kept below the plants, so will not scorch them.
Quote from: mat on April 28, 2011, 16:10:51
Why not create a "hot bed"? Make a container say around 3-4 ft deep (or whatever is convenient for you). fill it with fresh manure, then when full, add about 6 inches of garden centre compost (or soil) on top. and place a "cold frame" or two on top. You can then grow more tender plants in there to bring them on early. The heat is provided below, and the "hotness" of the nitrogen is kept below the plants, so will not scorch them.
Wow good idea. Suppose I could use this method quite a bit, bearing in mind I have the stuff 'on tap' so to speak.
Oh I also forgot to add that I have 2 separate kinds of horse manure. All our muck goes into old fruit bins (about 4'x4'x4') so the stable muck goes in some nearer the stable and this has hay, wood pellets and some kind of pellet made from paper pulp). The muck from the fields goes into separate bins nearer to the paddocks and this obviously is 100% horsey poo and nothing else added.
stick a load of soil on to your fruit bin, leave to settle then, take out a pit in the middle, fill with some rotted stuff if you can, mound up and plant a squash or courgette in it ;D