I have had 40+ open bags of horse manure delivered today, Sunday. So it is
not quite retail.
It is not rotted and looks like it was "laid" 3 or 4 weeks ago.
Ok, I got it for free but was wondering what I am going to do with it.
I think it is not weedkiller infested because there is some grass or
something growing in some of them.
What to do? I don't have a big enough area to compost it.
Dig it in or bin it?

Baz

Baz wrote:
I have had 40+ open bags of horse manure delivered today, Sunday. So it is
not quite retail.
It is not rotted and looks like it was "laid" 3 or 4 weeks ago.
Ok, I got it for free but was wondering what I am going to do with it.
I think it is not weedkiller infested because there is some grass or
something growing in some of them.
What to do? I don't have a big enough area to compost it.
Dig it in or bin it?

We had some of that a few years back. Stacked the bags for a year behind the
shed (which also acted as weed supressant - although they did grow back a lot
stronger after the bags were removed!) and it was great when we wanted to use
it.

Are you sure you don't have an unused shady corner that you could pop it onto
for a while?

wrote in
:

Baz wrote:
I have had 40+ open bags of horse manure delivered today, Sunday. So
it is not quite retail.
It is not rotted and looks like it was "laid" 3 or 4 weeks ago.
Ok, I got it for free but was wondering what I am going to do with
it. I think it is not weedkiller infested because there is some grass
or something growing in some of them.
What to do? I don't have a big enough area to compost it.
Dig it in or bin it?

We had some of that a few years back. Stacked the bags for a year
behind the shed (which also acted as weed supressant - although they
did grow back a lot stronger after the bags were removed!) and it was
great when we wanted to use it.

Are you sure you don't have an unused shady corner that you could pop
it onto for a while?


Thanks, but yes I am sure. No unused corners here. Apart from the spare
room! Now thats an idea. I'll run it past her when she gets home tomorrow
morning. Best time, she will agree to anything then. Just wants to kip
after the night shift.

Baz

On 14/10/2012 17:14, Baz wrote:
I have had 40+ open bags of horse manure delivered today, Sunday. So it is
not quite retail.
It is not rotted and looks like it was "laid" 3 or 4 weeks ago.
Ok, I got it for free but was wondering what I am going to do with it.
I think it is not weedkiller infested because there is some grass or
something growing in some of them.
What to do? I don't have a big enough area to compost it.
Dig it in or bin it?

Baz

Leave it in the bags to rot down a bit before you spread it

On 14/10/2012 17:14, Baz wrote:
I have had 40+ open bags of horse manure delivered today, Sunday. So it is
not quite retail.
It is not rotted and looks like it was "laid" 3 or 4 weeks ago.
Ok, I got it for free but was wondering what I am going to do with it.
I think it is not weedkiller infested because there is some grass or
something growing in some of them.
What to do? I don't have a big enough area to compost it.

Why not? Stack it into a roughly 2m cube.
Or give away to your other allotment holders the stuff you can't use.
ISTR you have plenty of burnt bridges to sort out.

Dig it in or bin it?

Baz

Dig it in if you must but be careful what you grow next year. Far better
to let it compost/ferment for a while and then you can get a nice crop
of mushrooms off some of it as well. You should compost *some* for that
purpose. Decent heat source as well if you do it right.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

"Baz" wrote in message
...
I have had 40+ open bags of horse manure delivered today, Sunday. So it is
not quite retail.
It is not rotted and looks like it was "laid" 3 or 4 weeks ago.
Ok, I got it for free but was wondering what I am going to do with it.
I think it is not weedkiller infested because there is some grass or
something growing in some of them.
What to do? I don't have a big enough area to compost it.
Dig it in or bin it?

Don't dig it in and certainly don't bin it. I've used horse manure in my
garden in all states from the 'well rotted' to the still steaming and very
fresh.

It makes a wonderful mulch on fallow beds so given that the UK is now in a
garden down time, you could just tip the bag contents out onto a fallow bed
and leave it undisturbed till Spring when you'll find lots of worms where
the manure meets the soil or you could spread it or put the whole lot in
your compost bins and add the red wriggler compost worms. Horse manure is
wonderful stuff given that it's so mild and roses in particular seem to love
it.

And view with some doubt advice given by any person who tells you that
manure must be well rotted or it burns. It doesn't, if used with some
degree of thought on the part of the gardener.

On 15/10/2012 02:51, Farm1 wrote:
"Baz" wrote in message
...
I have had 40+ open bags of horse manure delivered today, Sunday. So it is
not quite retail.
It is not rotted and looks like it was "laid" 3 or 4 weeks ago.
Ok, I got it for free but was wondering what I am going to do with it.
I think it is not weedkiller infested because there is some grass or
something growing in some of them.
What to do? I don't have a big enough area to compost it.
Dig it in or bin it?

Don't dig it in and certainly don't bin it. I've used horse manure in my
garden in all states from the 'well rotted' to the still steaming and very
fresh.

It makes a wonderful mulch on fallow beds so given that the UK is now in a
garden down time, you could just tip the bag contents out onto a fallow bed
and leave it undisturbed till Spring when you'll find lots of worms where
the manure meets the soil or you could spread it or put the whole lot in
your compost bins and add the red wriggler compost worms. Horse manure is
wonderful stuff given that it's so mild and roses in particular seem to love
it.

And view with some doubt advice given by any person who tells you that
manure must be well rotted or it burns. It doesn't, if used with some
degree of thought on the part of the gardener.


As you got it free, if you wish to leave it, is there a neighbour that
has a spare area where you could agree to store it for a while, then he
gets an agreed amount of the product.

Why not make a raised hot bed with it, put a clear plastic tent over it and see what you can grow in the winter in the way of veg?

Martin Brown wrote in
:

On 14/10/2012 17:14, Baz wrote:
I have had 40+ open bags of horse manure delivered today, Sunday. So
it is not quite retail.
It is not rotted and looks like it was "laid" 3 or 4 weeks ago.
Ok, I got it for free but was wondering what I am going to do with
it. I think it is not weedkiller infested because there is some grass
or something growing in some of them.
What to do? I don't have a big enough area to compost it.

Why not? Stack it into a roughly 2m cube.

In the bedroom perhaps? When I say I have no area, I mean I have no room in
the garden.

Or give away to your other allotment holders the stuff you can't use.

I now see that you think the dung is at the allotment, sorry, it's at home
in the garden. I would not give anything to the existing tenants, I would
to the newer ones. It's them and us, and they will not let their childish
attitude go. They have had it too good for too long. It is not the fault of
ours that we have been allowed an allotment because some other greedy sods
who have broken their tenancy agreement have been evicted. And I never said
anything at the tanancy meeting. I held out my hand and was blackballed.

ISTR you have plenty of burnt bridges to sort out.

Which bridges are these? You know more about me than I do!

Dig it in or bin it?


Baz

Dig it in if you must but be careful what you grow next year. Far
better to let it compost/ferment for a while and then you can get a
nice crop of mushrooms off some of it as well. You should compost
*some* for that purpose. Decent heat source as well if you do it
right.


Baz

Sacha wrote in
:

On 2012-10-15 14:39:22 +0100, Baz said:

Martin Brown wrote in
:

On 14/10/2012 17:14, Baz wrote:
I have had 40+ open bags of horse manure delivered today, Sunday.
So it is not quite retail.
It is not rotted and looks like it was "laid" 3 or 4 weeks ago.
Ok, I got it for free but was wondering what I am going to do with
it. I think it is not weedkiller infested because there is some
grass or something growing in some of them.
What to do? I don't have a big enough area to compost it.

Why not? Stack it into a roughly 2m cube.

In the bedroom perhaps? When I say I have no area, I mean I have no
room in the garden.
snip
Baz

A long time ago I read a book called The Untidy Gardener. Elizabeth
Cragoe said that she once asked a young man to help her by cleaning
out the stables, thinking he'd put all the manure and straw into a
nice tidy heap to rot down. She went back a few hours later to find
he'd thrown it straight onto the flower beds and there were her
plants, waving helplessly at her from several inches of manure. They
thrived. They didn't burn and they didn't wilt. You may get weeds but
you'll certainly get healthy soil and this is the right time of year
to apply it and let the frost break it down and the worms take it into
the soil for you. Just check first with the donors that their fields
weren't sprayed with the weed killer that passes through animals
without affecting them.

I am quite sure enough that there aren't any weedkillers in there.
So here goes, spread it cover it and We will see.
Weighed the pros and cons now after the book by E.Cragoe you mentioned.Got
to start not pontificating. Be positive. Do the deed. I doubt it will alter
anything in the future of a persons being, only indeed the desired effect
of such a sickening nature.

What is that about?
Baz

"Martin" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 15 Oct 2012 12:51:12 +1100, "Farm1"
wrote:

"Baz" wrote in message
. ..
I have had 40+ open bags of horse manure delivered today, Sunday. So it
is
not quite retail.
It is not rotted and looks like it was "laid" 3 or 4 weeks ago.
Ok, I got it for free but was wondering what I am going to do with it.
I think it is not weedkiller infested because there is some grass or
something growing in some of them.
What to do? I don't have a big enough area to compost it.
Dig it in or bin it?

Don't dig it in and certainly don't bin it. I've used horse manure in my
garden in all states from the 'well rotted' to the still steaming and very
fresh.

It makes a wonderful mulch on fallow beds so given that the UK is now in a
garden down time, you could just tip the bag contents out onto a fallow
bed
and leave it undisturbed till Spring when you'll find lots of worms where
the manure meets the soil or you could spread it or put the whole lot in
your compost bins and add the red wriggler compost worms. Horse manure is
wonderful stuff given that it's so mild and roses in particular seem to
love
it.

And view with some doubt advice given by any person who tells you that
manure must be well rotted or it burns. It doesn't, if used with some
degree of thought on the part of the gardener.

It does tend to produce lots of weeds if it is just dug in.

I've really never understood why anyone digs it in. It makes the most
wonderful mulch and worm food and especially over winter. Additionally if
it's used mulch-like any weeds can be removed by just a quick disturbance of
the surface.

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2012-10-15 14:39:22 +0100, Baz said:

Martin Brown wrote in
:

On 14/10/2012 17:14, Baz wrote:
I have had 40+ open bags of horse manure delivered today, Sunday. So
it is not quite retail.
It is not rotted and looks like it was "laid" 3 or 4 weeks ago.
Ok, I got it for free but was wondering what I am going to do with
it. I think it is not weedkiller infested because there is some grass
or something growing in some of them.
What to do? I don't have a big enough area to compost it.

Why not? Stack it into a roughly 2m cube.

In the bedroom perhaps? When I say I have no area, I mean I have no room
in
the garden.
snip
Baz

A long time ago I read a book called The Untidy Gardener. Elizabeth Cragoe
said that she once asked a young man to help her by cleaning out the
stables, thinking he'd put all the manure and straw into a nice tidy heap
to rot down. She went back a few hours later to find he'd thrown it
straight onto the flower beds and there were her plants, waving helplessly
at her from several inches of manure. They thrived. They didn't burn and
they didn't wilt. You may get weeds but you'll certainly get healthy soil
and this is the right time of year to apply it and let the frost break it
down and the worms take it into the soil for you.

Yup.

On 15/10/2012 14:47, Sacha wrote:

She went back a few hours later to find he'd
thrown it straight onto the flower beds and there were her plants,
waving helplessly at her from several inches of manure. They thrived.
They didn't burn and they didn't wilt.

Is this another "Old Gardening Chestnut" successfully debunked? There
must be a bookful for someone to write listing all the garbage which has
accumulated over the years!

--

Jeff

On 16/10/2012 09:18, Jeff Layman wrote:
On 15/10/2012 14:47, Sacha wrote:

She went back a few hours later to find he'd
thrown it straight onto the flower beds and there were her plants,
waving helplessly at her from several inches of manure. They thrived.
They didn't burn and they didn't wilt.

Is this another "Old Gardening Chestnut" successfully debunked? There
must be a bookful for someone to write listing all the garbage which has
accumulated over the years!

I think it depends a lot on the quality of the manure and how much
ammonia it is still producing. That will burn some plants and could rob
plant roots of oxygen if you put too much on at once.

I am also inclined towards the throw some on as a mulch and let the
worms do the digging. Except for beans they get a dollop in the trench.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On 16/10/2012 16:49, Sacha wrote:
On 2012-10-16 09:18:56 +0100, Jeff Layman said:

On 15/10/2012 14:47, Sacha wrote:

She went back a few hours later to find he'd
thrown it straight onto the flower beds and there were her plants,
waving helplessly at her from several inches of manure. They thrived.
They didn't burn and they didn't wilt.

Is this another "Old Gardening Chestnut" successfully debunked? There
must be a bookful for someone to write listing all the garbage which
has accumulated over the years!

The exception that proves the rules is supposed to be chicken manure,
which really can do some damage. That's best diluted in a bucket of
water and the water used as a fertiliser. I've also heard that cow
manure can be too strong to apply directly but as I've never tried that,
I don't know if it's the case. Why it should be when cows and horses
eat grass, hay and feed nuts, I don't know. Unless it's something to do
with the way they digest, because cow manure is certainly smellier and
you wouldn't want to sit in your garden having just spread that around,
imo! But someone may know and have direct experience of it. But horse
manure is one of those things that people used to scoop up from the road
and shovel straight onto their roses! And of course, at this time of
year, it's ideal.

Well I have never seen grass dying around the edge of cow pats in fields
and you can't get it any fresher than that.
David @ the damp end of Swansea Bay