On Sun, 7 Sep 2003 15:44:49 +0100, "Seven" wrote:
~"martin" wrote:
~ On Sun, 7 Sep 2003 14:18:20 +0000 (UTC),
~ wrote:
~
~ Spurred on by the previous horsemanure thread, and having been used to
~ paying for it (delivered admittedly) for the allotment, I asked in a
~ local non-chain garden centre and now have the phone number of a
~ stables which bags it and leaves it to you to collect (by
~ arrangement). They also knew of another where you just turn up and bag
~ it yourself, but I couldn't be bothered with that one as I've got a
~ duff back!
~
~ Pick your own?
~ ....... a free garlic clove with every bag. :-)
~
~ which is better horse or cow manure?
~
~Or chicken?
~
~)
~

depends what you want to do with it.

Chicken is very high nitrogen rocket fuel for leafy green plants but
doesn't have much organic bulk in the pellets.

Cow is also a bit rockety but has more in the way of bulky rotted
organic matter ie straw etc. Can be claggy and smelly.

Horse seems to rot down better, but is also high in organic bulk
(straw or these days, often wood shavings) and has a better texture.
The woodshavings type takes a bit longer to rot I think.

At this time of the year, allotment newbies may notice brown heaps of
the stuff appearing on plots, which disappear gradually into the soil
over the next two months or so as plots are cleared and dug over. Take
note (and get some...) but beware adding it to all your proposed plots
for next year as you don't want to manure your carrot/roots area.
It'll make them fork... Best check what nitrogen requirements there
are for your rotation and manure accordingly.

Of course if you have an incredibly poor soil, with no organic matter
in whatsoever, it may well be worth manuring the lot and foregoing
roots in the first year, just to make sure you've got a decent growing
medium.

If you want to grow organically, check with your manure supplier to
see if they routinely give antibiotics etc to their animals, as you
don't want to be eating those second hand! (Tends to be more cow:
another reason for going for horse).









--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

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