On Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:31:52 +0000, Dee wrote:

Ed ex@directory wrote in
net:

First time allotment holder, seeking advice...


The local riding stables have left a whole big load of horse
manure outside of our allotment site for folk to use. It is
pretty fresh (great strong pong from it) and it contains only a
moderate amount of straw.

Notwithstanding the warnings I have seen on this list and
elsewhere regarding contamination with weed killers and the like,
how can I beneficially use this stuff?

Can I use this manure straight away on the beds in my plot as a
top mulch and dig it in next spring? Or should I just add it to
my compost bins and let it mature there for, say, a year and then
use it?

Also which plants would benefit from an application of manure? I
seem to recall that root crops don't like recently manured beds?

Ed

Fresh manure can be used as a top mulch, but IME it's very important
to make sure the manure does not directly touch any plants, as it
will cause problems (burning, stunting) otherwise. Top mulching of
the manure allows rain water to seep through it and down to the roots
of the plants, effectively giving them 'manure tea', while the
wormies go to work incorporating it into the soil. It may be that by
next spring there will be nothing left to turn under into the soil,
as the worms will have done it for you. That has been my experience,
anyway.

Dee

Yes, only very well rotted (crumbly soil type) compost should be
used with root crops.

If fresh it does need to be kept away from plant leaves and stems as
others have said. Though another reason is possible e.coli infection.
Because of the latter I'd keep it well away from leaf vegetables that
aren't cooked eg lettuce. That's not root contact, but leaf contact.
Horse mature does have a reputation for being full of weed seeds btw
if the horses are often grazing in a field. Cow poo much less so.
If it does have seeds in it, only a hot running compost heap will
destroy (most) of them. A quicker way to compost is just to dig a
trench and bury it. If you've a patch that is not being used that is.
A part that you would like to plant beans on will work well. Come the
spring the manure will be well rotted by soil microbes and spread
about by worms. And it will smell far less. Weed seeds are less likely
to germinate as they get no light. Direct to the soil, either on top
or under will allow more nutrients to get into the soil. In a compost
heap either the heat breaks them down, or they leech out the bottom.
Not all but quite a bit.

Whilst not really the traditional time of year for this, you could
try making a 'hot bed'. Normally in greenhouse borders or cold
frames, a cloche might work fairly well. You dig a trench 12"+ deep.
Put a deep layer of fresh manure into it and cover with 6 inches of
soil. The heat from the decomposing manure warms the soil from below.
Normally done Feb/March to get a head start on the growing season. You
could experiment to see if it will extend the autumn season for some
of the salad crops. It won't provide enough heat to prevent a hard
frost even under a cloche as it's warming the roots rather than the
tops, but might speed their growth before the weather gets cold and
stays that way. Some lettuce, rocket and spinach are frost hardy, they
might crop even better with slightly warmer soil.

Nigel