We moved to this farm last autumn and as there is very little soil
coverage on the rocks here we are building raised beds. At the back
of the stables is an area where the stable sweepings have been put for
years. It is a large mound which must be about four feet deep in the
middle. It is covered in couch grass, which I've been digging off the
top, and underneath that is about ten inches of fairly well rotted
horse manure/straw, which I'm digging out to put in the raised beds,
but under that is a soggy brown slutch which I presume is the stuff
that hasn't had enough oxygen to decompose properly. If I leave it
open to the elements, having taken off the top layers, will it
decompose by itself? Should I add anything to it to start it off?

The well rotted stuff is a bit fibrous still. I am therefore mixing
it with mole hills (they must wear crash helmets round here!), going
up the hill with the empty barrow every morning and slithering back
down with a full(ish) one. Ken reckons it will take about 60
barrowloads to fill this raised bed and it's only the first of what I
hope will be many. Ooh, my aching muscles!

Joan in Ayrshire (off for a hot bath)
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Joan Riley wrote:
snip
under that is a soggy brown slutch which I presume is the stuff
that hasn't had enough oxygen to decompose properly. If I leave it
open to the elements, having taken off the top layers, will it
decompose by itself? Should I add anything to it to start it off?

The well rotted stuff is a bit fibrous still. I am therefore mixing
it with mole hills
snip
Isn't the slushy brown stuff just all the goodies leaching out at the
bottom and therefore well rained on, rotted, washed through, etc? I
don't know but I think it's a fair guess.
Sounds as if you've got a little brown mine there. ;-)
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon

under that is a soggy brown slutch which I presume is the stuff
that hasn't had enough oxygen to decompose properly. If I leave it
open to the elements, having taken off the top layers, will it
decompose by itself? Should I add anything to it to start it off?

The well rotted stuff is a bit fibrous still. I am therefore mixing
it with mole hills
snip
Isn't the slushy brown stuff just all the goodies leaching out at the
bottom and therefore well rained on, rotted, washed through, etc? I
don't know but I think it's a fair guess.
Sounds as if you've got a little brown mine there. ;-)
--
Sacha

Yes indeed that will be great stuff, if it is too slushy to use get some
straw and mix it all up a bit or I suppose that you could mix it with
water and use it as a liquid feed, have fun :-)

kate