I purchased a few bags of cow manure and dug some into my garden beds. Now
the soil has gone "hard" - kind of crusty. Did I get a bad batch? Did i put
too much in?

Bob Saccamano wrote:
I purchased a few bags of cow manure and dug some into my garden beds. Now
the soil has gone "hard" - kind of crusty. Did I get a bad batch? Did i put
too much in?


Its a good idea to water the soil and also to lime it occasionally.

The manure can make it like this for a while, but it can also go acid,
and then it can change consistency.. Are things growing OK ?

g'day bob,

depends on whether it was paddock manure or yard manure? it is was
yard manure that is usually presented in a arrable condition and
should not caause crusting, yard manure is the only stuff worth having
as it contains urea as well.

only use lime if the ph of the soil indicates it needs liming other
than that add more composted organic material into the mix.



snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.users.bigpond.com/gardenlen1

"gardenlen" wrote in message
...
g'day bob,

depends on whether it was paddock manure or yard manure? it is was
yard manure that is usually presented in a arrable condition and
should not caause crusting, yard manure is the only stuff worth having
as it contains urea as well.

only use lime if the ph of the soil indicates it needs liming other
than that add more composted organic material into the mix.


gday,

not sure what kind it was. When it was removed from the bag (bought from a
hardware) the stuff looked divine. Real soft and pliable. I was shocked as
to how it turned ugly only days from application.

I cant remember the brand. However, I bought some potting mix of the same
brand and it was absolute junk, so I guess the manure was the same quality.

"Jonno" wrote in message
...

The manure can make it like this for a while, but it can also go acid,
and then it can change consistency.. Are things growing OK ?

Not really growing well. I live in a sandy area in Sydney, and since the
drought, my soil has become severely water repellent. I've tried "wetta
soil" but is was useless. So I added some manure to help things out but I
don;t think it was helped at all. Soil is now crusty and still water
repellant.

Dig a bit of blood and bone and a bit of lime thruogh it and let it sit for
a while then redig and see what happens, get some fresh cow manure if you
can from out in the country areas - good excuse for a drive.
lushy
"Bob Saccamano" wrote in message
...
"gardenlen" wrote in message
...
g'day bob,

depends on whether it was paddock manure or yard manure? it is was
yard manure that is usually presented in a arrable condition and
should not caause crusting, yard manure is the only stuff worth having
as it contains urea as well.

only use lime if the ph of the soil indicates it needs liming other
than that add more composted organic material into the mix.


gday,

not sure what kind it was. When it was removed from the bag (bought from a
hardware) the stuff looked divine. Real soft and pliable. I was shocked as
to how it turned ugly only days from application.

I cant remember the brand. However, I bought some potting mix of the same
brand and it was absolute junk, so I guess the manure was the same
quality.

"Bob Saccamano" wrote in message
...
I purchased a few bags of cow manure and dug some into my garden beds. Now
the soil has gone "hard" - kind of crusty. Did I get a bad batch? Did i
put
too much in?


Bob I guess you have learnt why we in the bush used to apply this product to
the soil as lino. Yep cow dung was applied wet and alowed to dry as an
inside floor covering in days of yore. Not that long ago acctually, my
grandmother used it b4 they put down some floor boards. Also had hessin and
newspaper walls. And this was in the 20th century.
Jim

"David" wrote in message
...
Dig a bit of blood and bone and a bit of lime thruogh it and let it sit
for
a while then redig and see what happens, get some fresh cow manure if you
can from out in the country areas - good excuse for a drive.
lushy

I can get plenty of fresh horse manure, but I've been told that this is no
good? Is this true?

"SG1" wrote in message
...

Bob I guess you have learnt why we in the bush used to apply this product
to
the soil as lino. Yep cow dung was applied wet and alowed to dry as an
inside floor covering in days of yore. Not that long ago acctually, my
grandmother used it b4 they put down some floor boards. Also had hessin
and
newspaper walls. And this was in the 20th century.
Jim

Good lord.

On 10/1/06 8:51 AM, in article
, "SG1"
wrote:


"Bob Saccamano" wrote in message
...
I purchased a few bags of cow manure and dug some into my garden beds. Now
the soil has gone "hard" - kind of crusty. Did I get a bad batch? Did i
put
too much in?


Bob I guess you have learnt why we in the bush used to apply this product to
the soil as lino. Yep cow dung was applied wet and alowed to dry as an
inside floor covering in days of yore. Not that long ago acctually, my
grandmother used it b4 they put down some floor boards. Also had hessin and
newspaper walls. And this was in the 20th century.
Jim



There is an old couple and the blokes brother that live not far from me.
They are in the very same shack that was built Lord-knows-when with
newspaper walls and packed earth floors.

...aprill

Bob Saccamano wrote:

I can get plenty of fresh horse manure, but I've been told that this is no
good? Is this true?

Depends on whether the horse have been wormed recently. If so, the horse
worm stuff will kill worms in the soil. Usually you let it sit for 3
months to allow the horse worm stuff to brek down, or you can compost it.

"Terry Collins" wrote in message
...

Depends on whether the horse have been wormed recently. If so, the horse
worm stuff will kill worms in the soil. Usually you let it sit for 3
months to allow the horse worm stuff to brek down, or you can compost it.

Thanks.

"Bob Saccamano" wrote in message
...
"Terry Collins" wrote in message
...

Depends on whether the horse have been wormed recently. If so, the horse
worm stuff will kill worms in the soil. Usually you let it sit for 3
months to allow the horse worm stuff to brek down, or you can compost it.

Thanks.


Whilst being good stuff, I've always found it comes with lots of very
healthy seeds to produce luxuriant displays of weeds :=)
(oats-wheat etc)

--
Regards ......... Rheilly Phoull

In article ,
"Bob Saccamano" wrote:

Not really growing well. I live in a sandy area in Sydney, and since the
drought, my soil has become severely water repellent. I've tried "wetta
soil" but is was useless. So I added some manure to help things out but I
don;t think it was helped at all. Soil is now crusty and still water
repellant.

I think it sounds like too much poo and sand and not enough coarse fibrous
stuff. Try adding some vegetable matter -- composted lawn clippings, shredded
stuff, old straw or hay.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"In Melbourne there is plenty of vigour and eagerness, but there is
nothing worth being eager or vigorous about."
Francis Adams, The Australians, 1893.

"Rheilly Phoull" wrote in message
...

"Bob Saccamano" wrote in message
...
"Terry Collins" wrote in message
...

Depends on whether the horse have been wormed recently. If so, the horse
worm stuff will kill worms in the soil. Usually you let it sit for 3
months to allow the horse worm stuff to brek down, or you can compost
it.

Thanks.


Whilst being good stuff, I've always found it comes with lots of very
healthy seeds to produce luxuriant displays of weeds :=)
(oats-wheat etc)

--
Regards ......... Rheilly Phoull

Dig them in for green manure or the chooks love to eat green stuff.
Jim