Well rotted horse manure question
 

Hello all
I have been lucky enough to get a ton(ish) of 3year old horse muck, and
much more if I want.

I live in North Lincolnshire and my soil is light

When should I dig it in? or should I?
Trying to grow veg. NOT flowers and shrubs.

There are differences of opinion on t'net, some say if I do it now all or
most of the "goodness" will be washed away during winter, others say do it
now.

It looks like soil and smells like it too btw, and it's a very dark brown
colour that I think "black gold" people liken it to is a good description.

Thanks for reading.
Part_No

Well rotted horse manure question
 

"Part_No" wrote in message
...
Hello all
I have been lucky enough to get a ton(ish) of 3year old horse muck, and
much more if I want.
I live in North Lincolnshire and my soil is light
When should I dig it in? or should I?
Trying to grow veg. NOT flowers and shrubs.
There are differences of opinion on t'net, some say if I do it now all or
most of the "goodness" will be washed away during winter, others say do it
now.
It looks like soil and smells like it too btw, and it's a very dark brown
colour that I think "black gold" people liken it to is a good description.


Sounds like what you have got there is compost that used to be horse
manure. Get all you can and spread it out for the worms to dig in for you.
If the "goodness" hasn't washed out in 3 years, it isn't going to now
(though to be honest, there isn't a lot of goodness in there to start with,
but it is fantastic soil conditioner). Put as much as you can get on, your
soil, the worms and your veg will love you for it.

Tom

Well rotted horse manure question
 

"Tom" wrote in :


"Part_No" wrote in message
...
Hello all
I have been lucky enough to get a ton(ish) of 3year old horse muck,
and much more if I want.
I live in North Lincolnshire and my soil is light
When should I dig it in? or should I?
Trying to grow veg. NOT flowers and shrubs.
There are differences of opinion on t'net, some say if I do it now
all or most of the "goodness" will be washed away during winter,
others say do it now.
It looks like soil and smells like it too btw, and it's a very dark
brown colour that I think "black gold" people liken it to is a good
description.


Sounds like what you have got there is compost that used to be horse
manure. Get all you can and spread it out for the worms to dig in for
you. If the "goodness" hasn't washed out in 3 years, it isn't going to
now (though to be honest, there isn't a lot of goodness in there to
start with, but it is fantastic soil conditioner). Put as much as you
can get on, your soil, the worms and your veg will love you for it.

Tom




Thanks, Tom
I was under the false impression that horse manure was full of goodies
and that it was used as a fertilizer.
I can get as much of this as I want so if all I need to do is spread it
on the top I'll get another trailer load or two.
Should I be spreading it now? or wait.

Thanks again
Part_No

Well rotted horse manure question
 

On 2009-12-09 14:08:02 +0000, "Part_No" said:

"Tom" wrote in :


"Part_No" wrote in message
...
Hello all
I have been lucky enough to get a ton(ish) of 3year old horse muck,
and much more if I want.
I live in North Lincolnshire and my soil is light
When should I dig it in? or should I?
Trying to grow veg. NOT flowers and shrubs.
There are differences of opinion on t'net, some say if I do it now
all or most of the "goodness" will be washed away during winter,
others say do it now.
It looks like soil and smells like it too btw, and it's a very dark
brown colour that I think "black gold" people liken it to is a good
description.


Sounds like what you have got there is compost that used to be horse
manure. Get all you can and spread it out for the worms to dig in for
you. If the "goodness" hasn't washed out in 3 years, it isn't going to
now (though to be honest, there isn't a lot of goodness in there to
start with, but it is fantastic soil conditioner). Put as much as you
can get on, your soil, the worms and your veg will love you for it.

Tom




Thanks, Tom
I was under the false impression that horse manure was full of goodies
and that it was used as a fertilizer.
I can get as much of this as I want so if all I need to do is spread it
on the top I'll get another trailer load or two.
Should I be spreading it now? or wait.

Thanks again
Part_No

We keep repeating this on here but do read the past posts and press
information on manure from horses and cows grazed over fields treated
with weed killer. One of them - aminopyralid - passes through the
animal causing it no (apparent) harm but contaminating its manure.
People using it have lost their crops. Check with the person selling
the manure that the animals weren't grazed over land where that weed
killer has been used. Apparently, aminopyralid is slow to break down
so the effects could be felt for some years.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

Well rotted horse manure question
 

Sacha wrote in
:

On 2009-12-09 14:08:02 +0000, "Part_No" said:

"Tom" wrote in
:


"Part_No" wrote in message
...
Hello all
I have been lucky enough to get a ton(ish) of 3year old horse muck,
and much more if I want.
I live in North Lincolnshire and my soil is light
When should I dig it in? or should I?
Trying to grow veg. NOT flowers and shrubs.
There are differences of opinion on t'net, some say if I do it now
all or most of the "goodness" will be washed away during winter,
others say do it now.
It looks like soil and smells like it too btw, and it's a very dark
brown colour that I think "black gold" people liken it to is a good
description.


Sounds like what you have got there is compost that used to be horse
manure. Get all you can and spread it out for the worms to dig in
for you. If the "goodness" hasn't washed out in 3 years, it isn't
going to now (though to be honest, there isn't a lot of goodness in
there to start with, but it is fantastic soil conditioner). Put as
much as you can get on, your soil, the worms and your veg will love
you for it.

Tom




Thanks, Tom
I was under the false impression that horse manure was full of
goodies and that it was used as a fertilizer.
I can get as much of this as I want so if all I need to do is spread
it on the top I'll get another trailer load or two.
Should I be spreading it now? or wait.

Thanks again
Part_No

We keep repeating this on here but do read the past posts and press
information on manure from horses and cows grazed over fields treated
with weed killer. One of them - aminopyralid - passes through the
animal causing it no (apparent) harm but contaminating its manure.
People using it have lost their crops. Check with the person selling
the manure that the animals weren't grazed over land where that weed
killer has been used. Apparently, aminopyralid is slow to break down
so the effects could be felt for some years.

Yes, sorry not mentioning aminopyralid....It's very well known, even to
me about the devastation it causes. My source of horse doodaas is
apparently free of weed killer. I don't know of any test we can do, but
a couple of local gardeners have been using the same stuff for a long
time.......I know that's not concrete evidence and maybe it's too much
trust but I'm putting my confidence there.
Fingers crossed and thanks for caring to warn me about this.

Part_No

Well rotted horse manure question
 

"Sacha" wrote in message
...


We keep repeating this on here but do read the past posts and press
information on manure from horses and cows grazed over fields treated with
weed killer. One of them - aminopyralid - passes through the animal
causing it no (apparent) harm but contaminating its manure. People using
it have lost their crops. Check with the person selling the manure that
the animals weren't grazed over land where that weed killer has been used.
Apparently, aminopyralid is slow to break down so the effects could be
felt for some years.


From
http://www.allotment.org.uk/garden-d...inated-manure/

"We know the Aminopyralid is eventually broken down by microbial action in
the soil and this is what we need to encourage.
If you have a manure pile and just leave it stacked, or even turn it over,
the relative lack of the right microbes means it could be two or three years
before it becomes safe to use."
The OP stated that he or she had "3 year old horse muck"

Therefore even if it was originally contaminated, in all likelihood, the
manure is by now safe to use.

Tom

Well rotted horse manure question
 

"Part_No" wrote in message
...

I was under the false impression that horse manure was full of goodies
and that it was used as a fertilizer.

NPK for fresh horse manure is 0.7, 0.3, 0.6 (though I've heard figures as
low as 0.44, 0.17, 0.35 quoted) After 3 years in the rain it's unlikley to
have a quarter of that. Don't worry though as it's still well worth having
(especially on light soil)


I can get as much of this as I want so if all I need to do is spread it
on the top I'll get another trailer load or two.
Should I be spreading it now? or wait.


If you've already got your digging done by now, you're a better man than
me. I'd spread it out now and keep the worms warm and happy with it until
the spring, then dig it in. You can not put too much on (seriously, 6"
thick, dug in, would not over do it)

Tom

Well rotted horse manure question
 

"Part_No" wrote in message
...
I don't know of any test we can do, but
a couple of local gardeners have been using the same stuff for a long
time


The test you can do is to start a few seedlings in it and look for typical
signs of leaf damage common to herbicides. Or you can pay about £100 and
someone else will sprout a few tomato plants in it and look for signs of
leaf damage.

The other gardeners using it for years would be good enough for me though.

Tom

Well rotted horse manure question
 

On 2009-12-09 17:33:11 +0000, "Part_No" said:

Sacha wrote in
:

On 2009-12-09 14:08:02 +0000, "Part_No" said:

"Tom" wrote in
:


"Part_No" wrote in message
...
Hello all
I have been lucky enough to get a ton(ish) of 3year old horse muck,
and much more if I want.
I live in North Lincolnshire and my soil is light
When should I dig it in? or should I?
Trying to grow veg. NOT flowers and shrubs.
There are differences of opinion on t'net, some say if I do it now
all or most of the "goodness" will be washed away during winter,
others say do it now.
It looks like soil and smells like it too btw, and it's a very dark
brown colour that I think "black gold" people liken it to is a good
description.


Sounds like what you have got there is compost that used to be horse
manure. Get all you can and spread it out for the worms to dig in
for you. If the "goodness" hasn't washed out in 3 years, it isn't
going to now (though to be honest, there isn't a lot of goodness in
there to start with, but it is fantastic soil conditioner). Put as
much as you can get on, your soil, the worms and your veg will love
you for it.

Tom




Thanks, Tom
I was under the false impression that horse manure was full of
goodies and that it was used as a fertilizer.
I can get as much of this as I want so if all I need to do is spread
it on the top I'll get another trailer load or two.
Should I be spreading it now? or wait.

Thanks again
Part_No

We keep repeating this on here but do read the past posts and press
information on manure from horses and cows grazed over fields treated
with weed killer. One of them - aminopyralid - passes through the
animal causing it no (apparent) harm but contaminating its manure.
People using it have lost their crops. Check with the person selling
the manure that the animals weren't grazed over land where that weed
killer has been used. Apparently, aminopyralid is slow to break down
so the effects could be felt for some years.

Yes, sorry not mentioning aminopyralid....It's very well known, even to
me about the devastation it causes. My source of horse doodaas is
apparently free of weed killer. I don't know of any test we can do, but
a couple of local gardeners have been using the same stuff for a long
time.......I know that's not concrete evidence and maybe it's too much
trust but I'm putting my confidence there.
Fingers crossed and thanks for caring to warn me about this.

Part_No



I hope you know that no sort of admonishment was intended. ;-) But
given how much we've heard of it here, I thought it might be worth
mentioning so as to alert others. As long as the owners of the grazing
haven't changed their practice, you should be safe.

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

Well rotted horse manure question
 

I hope you know that no sort of admonishment was intended. ;-) But
given how much we've heard of it here, I thought it might be worth
mentioning so as to alert others. As long as the owners of the grazing
haven't changed their practice, you should be safe.


Sasha, no way did I think you were patronising me.

We will see in next summmers crops......I have spread another 2 trailer
loads on top of my soil so it's done .
I didn't even think about how the owners may have changed the grazing
practice.

I hope fingers and toes crossed that I have not made a big error.

All the luck to you
Part_No

Well rotted horse manure question
 

On 2009-12-12 14:01:13 +0000, "Part_No" said:

I hope you know that no sort of admonishment was intended. ;-) But
given how much we've heard of it here, I thought it might be worth
mentioning so as to alert others. As long as the owners of the grazing
haven't changed their practice, you should be safe.


Sasha, no way did I think you were patronising me.

Phew! ;-)

We will see in next summmers crops......I have spread another 2 trailer
loads on top of my soil so it's done .
I didn't even think about how the owners may have changed the grazing
practice.

I hope fingers and toes crossed that I have not made a big error.

Sounds like there's more than a fair chance they would be aware of any
dangers, too.


--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon