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Compost Heap. Horse Manure. Pathogens.
On 15/07/09 16:12, brooklyn1 wrote:
"Ed" ex@directory wrote in message o.uk... I have a couple of large compost bins on my allotment which I regularly fill with compostable materials from home, but this only accounts for a few percent. For the most part, I go to the local riding stables where they bag up the horse manure and leave it outside for people to take for free. In the winter time, when the horses are inside the stables, the mix is heavy with straw and bedding. But now in the warmer months with the horses outside , it is mainly stuff gathered straight off the paddock areas where the horses pass their days. The thing is this. The bins are 4'x3'x3' and I just do not have the energy or strength to turn them. So , in effect they are cold compost heaps. I let the contents rot down over a 2 year period. But is there a danger that the pathogens in the horse dung will not die off (as they would if I were operating a hot heap) and that my family could become seriously ill if I use this composted material on my vegetable plot even if it is 2 years old? There is no concern with pathogens with manure from vegetarian beasts except perhaps if you know the beast to be ill with a disease transmittable to humans. In your case I'd be more concerned with viable weed seeds. Weeds aren't a great problem for me.. I got the time and I love weeding most days. Most of my weeds anyway are in-blown from other plots so I always expect them. But thanks for the re-assurance on the pathogens though. I'd hate to grow my own crops and then find I make my family ill. Ed |
#2
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Compost Heap. Horse Manure. Pathogens.
"Ed" ex@directory wrote in message ... On 15/07/09 16:12, brooklyn1 wrote: "Ed" ex@directory wrote in message o.uk... I have a couple of large compost bins on my allotment which I regularly fill with compostable materials from home, but this only accounts for a few percent. For the most part, I go to the local riding stables where they bag up the horse manure and leave it outside for people to take for free. In the winter time, when the horses are inside the stables, the mix is heavy with straw and bedding. But now in the warmer months with the horses outside , it is mainly stuff gathered straight off the paddock areas where the horses pass their days. The thing is this. The bins are 4'x3'x3' and I just do not have the energy or strength to turn them. So , in effect they are cold compost heaps. I let the contents rot down over a 2 year period. But is there a danger that the pathogens in the horse dung will not die off (as they would if I were operating a hot heap) and that my family could become seriously ill if I use this composted material on my vegetable plot even if it is 2 years old? There is no concern with pathogens with manure from vegetarian beasts except perhaps if you know the beast to be ill with a disease transmittable to humans. In your case I'd be more concerned with viable weed seeds. Weeds aren't a great problem for me.. I got the time and I love weeding most days. Most of my weeds anyway are in-blown from other plots so I always expect them. But thanks for the re-assurance on the pathogens though. I'd hate to grow my own crops and then find I make my family ill. Ed Ed, your biggest concern should be whether or not the horse's paddock was sprayed with a broadleaf herbicide. The herbicide will pass harmlessly through the horse and wipe out you garden. Check with the source of your manure, it would be heartbreaking to have that happen. Cheers, Steve |
#3
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Compost Heap. Horse Manure. Pathogens.
In article ,
"Steve Peek" wrote: "Ed" ex@directory wrote in message ... On 15/07/09 16:12, brooklyn1 wrote: "Ed" ex@directory wrote in message o.uk... I have a couple of large compost bins on my allotment which I regularly fill with compostable materials from home, but this only accounts for a few percent. For the most part, I go to the local riding stables where they bag up the horse manure and leave it outside for people to take for free. In the winter time, when the horses are inside the stables, the mix is heavy with straw and bedding. But now in the warmer months with the horses outside , it is mainly stuff gathered straight off the paddock areas where the horses pass their days. The thing is this. The bins are 4'x3'x3' and I just do not have the energy or strength to turn them. So , in effect they are cold compost heaps. I let the contents rot down over a 2 year period. But is there a danger that the pathogens in the horse dung will not die off (as they would if I were operating a hot heap) and that my family could become seriously ill if I use this composted material on my vegetable plot even if it is 2 years old? There is no concern with pathogens with manure from vegetarian beasts except perhaps if you know the beast to be ill with a disease transmittable to humans. In your case I'd be more concerned with viable weed seeds. Weeds aren't a great problem for me.. I got the time and I love weeding most days. Most of my weeds anyway are in-blown from other plots so I always expect them. But thanks for the re-assurance on the pathogens though. I'd hate to grow my own crops and then find I make my family ill. Ed Ed, your biggest concern should be whether or not the horse's paddock was sprayed with a broadleaf herbicide. The herbicide will pass harmlessly through the horse and wipe out you garden. Check with the source of your manure, it would be heartbreaking to have that happen. Cheers, Steve FarmI wrote last Oct. "I also spread horse poop as it comes (often almost still steaming) straight onto garden beds and it results in a huge worm population explosion." I might mention that she is still with us, which argues favorably for the use of fresh manure. Most will caution against getting fresh manure on the edible parts of the plant (touching or splashed) for at least 3 months. More often the advice is to work fresh manure into the ground 3 months before planting. Standard procedure is to compost (hot or cold) for 6 months before use, or to incorporate it into the soil in the fall. -- - Billy There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves. Will Rogers http://countercurrents.org/roberts020709.htm http://www.tomdispatch.com/p/zinn |
#4
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Compost Heap. Horse Manure. Pathogens.
"Billy" wrote in message
FarmI wrote last Oct. "I also spread horse poop as it comes (often almost still steaming) straight onto garden beds and it results in a huge worm population explosion." I might mention that she is still with us, which argues favorably for the use of fresh manure. Yeah, I'm still here. Nothing wrong with me other than the red spots all over, the squint, the gummy jaws, the baldness and the limp......... |
#5
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Compost Heap. Horse Manure. Pathogens.
In article
, "FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote: "Billy" wrote in message FarmI wrote last Oct. "I also spread horse poop as it comes (often almost still steaming) straight onto garden beds and it results in a huge worm population explosion." I might mention that she is still with us, which argues favorably for the use of fresh manure. Yeah, I'm still here. Nothing wrong with me other than the red spots all over, the squint, the gummy jaws, the baldness and the limp......... These ideosyncracies only add character to our siren of the soil. -- - Billy "For the first time in the history of the world, every human being is now subjected to contact with dangerous chemicals, from the moment of conception until death." - Rachel Carson http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7843430.stm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI29wVQN8Go |
#6
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Compost Heap. Horse Manure. Pathogens.
"Steve Peek" wrote Ed, your biggest concern should be whether or not the horse's paddock was sprayed with a broadleaf herbicide. The herbicide will pass harmlessly through the horse and wipe out you garden. Check with the source of your manure, it would be heartbreaking to have that happen. Yes, indeed. Farmyard or stable manure is wonderful stuff if you can get it, but there's one particular herbicide persisting in manure that has caused quite serious problems for some allotmenteers and gardeners in recent years. There's info on the RHS site: http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile...ler-manure.asp It can also be quite difficult to actually find out if any particular load is 'clean', unless the source can be absolutely certain that all their feed and bedding is clear too, because of buying and selling of hay and silage feed. One case I know of locally happened where cattle manure from one farm where they didn't use this stuff was affected, unbeknownst to the farmer, due to contaminated feed and hay bought in from elsewhere. -- Sue |
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