Allotments 4 All

Hi,

Manure....I have seen an enormous pile of manure (mixed with straw) very close to my home.  Can you please help me as I come from a long line of non gardeners?? 

I have been granted the lease of an allotment from 21st Dec 2005, and having read  various books and literature it would seem that the best time to dig over an allotment with manure is in Oct to Dec??. 

Due to the influx of relatives, kids, and 'seasonal obligations' and now severe weather (went up to my lottie yesterday and couldn't find my baby underneath the snow!!!!) I have not been able to apply any of the enthusiasm that I am bubbling with. Can you help me?

* Can I dig manure straight into my plot now?  If so how long do I need to wait until I can plant and what can I plant?  (generally anyhow!!)

* How long do I need to wait until the manured area can be generally planted?

* I have been told that I can add worms to my compost pile - and this is a really daft  question, for which I apologise,  I know which worms to add and what to let them compost...........................  but knowing that they will die in the 'normal garden' what systems do you lot suggest to filter them out of the compost before digging it in??.

Many thanks

Ann

 

More experienced people will have all the right answers, but I think the rule is that manure needs to be well rotted before you put it near plants. So maybe stack some up and leave it for a few months.

Also, if it has lots of straw in it the composting process breaks that down. I think I read somewhere that straw needs to be rotted before use.

This all may be wrong, but if you put "manure" in the search facility there will be lots of useful stuff!!

Katy has said it, the manure needs to rest for a while, so it 'calms' down a bit. There is also the issue of possible diseases carried in the manure, which again will be eradicated by stacking it. Six months is considered about right, you may get away with using some sooner. What I used to do, was after I had trenched up the potatoes, I filled the gaps with the manure. The worms soon got to work and did the business.

There is no need to buy worms - they will make their own way into your compost heap provided it has some contact with natural soil. If it doesn't, just put a couple of spadefuls in.
On the subject of manure, there is government guidance:
http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/managingfarmmanures.pdf
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environ/pollute/livemanure4.pdf

Thanks to all for your help.   It should be perfect to dig in next autumn.

psb    you can use it before Autummn!  seems a shame not to use it if it's available. 

Spuds, courgettes, pumpkins, squashes, runner and french beans, strawberries don't object to new manure.  By the time for planting of these things the muck will have gone off a bit and will be a good growing medium for these plants. They'll revel in it.  So don't discount it just cos it's fresh

A load of manure will get you off to a flying start especially if you have nowhere prepared as I didn't this time last year but a pile of steaming hotspur meant the difference between crops and no crops  :)