I have just been and got three large sacks of horse manure from the farm
(there is a plentiful and free supply!)...anyway, two of the bags it's only
partially rotted - there is a little bit of fresh stuff in it. the last bag
was filled with the stuff from the bottom and it had been there for decades!
This bag has no visible straw, bedding, 'balls' of manure or any differing
colours, it is just pure black and clean - no roots or any other visible
'impurities', with the appearance of expensive compost!
I intend to spread some on the flowerbeds now while I'm digging them over
and to allow the impending frost to do it's thing, my idea is to use the
partially rotted manure in the beds but...
My question is this; can i use some of it for my hanging baskets and other
planters in May or is it too rich? - I've heard it will burn the young
plants? - will it not burn the seedlings in the beds if this is the case?
Is there a difference in the extremely well rotted stuff and the newer
stuff?


TIA

--

http://www.blueyonder256k.myby.co.uk/

The well rotted stuff is the stuff that you want. The 'active' ingredients
have rotted out and been decomposed to less harmful stuff by bacteria and
fungi. This is what your plants want. The new dung is liable to 'burn' any
plant material, and is best left to continue rotting on the compost heap -
it's an excellent accelerator for a new compost heap. The black stuff
sounds just right. Use it in your baskets and everywhere else.

Davy M.

"Phil L" wrote in message
.uk...
I have just been and got three large sacks of horse manure from the farm
(there is a plentiful and free supply!)...anyway, two of the bags it's
only
partially rotted - there is a little bit of fresh stuff in it. the last
bag
was filled with the stuff from the bottom and it had been there for
decades!
This bag has no visible straw, bedding, 'balls' of manure or any differing
colours, it is just pure black and clean - no roots or any other visible
'impurities', with the appearance of expensive compost!
I intend to spread some on the flowerbeds now while I'm digging them over
and to allow the impending frost to do it's thing, my idea is to use the
partially rotted manure in the beds but...
My question is this; can i use some of it for my hanging baskets and other
planters in May or is it too rich? - I've heard it will burn the young
plants? - will it not burn the seedlings in the beds if this is the case?
Is there a difference in the extremely well rotted stuff and the newer
stuff?


TIA

--

http://www.blueyonder256k.myby.co.uk/

Davy Murray wrote:
:: The well rotted stuff is the stuff that you want. The 'active'
:: ingredients have rotted out and been decomposed to less harmful
:: stuff by bacteria and fungi. This is what your plants want. The
:: new dung is liable to 'burn' any plant material, and is best left
:: to continue rotting on the compost heap - it's an excellent
:: accelerator for a new compost heap. The black stuff sounds just
:: right. Use it in your baskets and everywhere else.
::
:: Davy M.

Hmm, I do have a compost heap of sorts but from what I can glean on here
it's a 'cold' heap?
It gets lawn trimmings and that's about it, all other fruit/veg 'waste' is
recycled by my rodents!

I suppose I could pile it up there and go back for some more of the good
stuff?
As I said, it's a free supply and the farmer in question doesn't use it on
her feilds (why?) and hasn't done for many years - I was in up to my knees
earlier trying to get the 'black gold'...it sure holds the moisture!

--

http://www.blueyonder256k.myby.co.uk/

In article , Phil L
writes
Kay wrote:
:: You could also add cardboard etc - or do the rodents dispose of
:: all that too?

No but lawn cuttings and cardboard aren't going to make anything worthwhile
are they? - or are they?

I don't see why not. It would add a bit of air and structure to the lawn
cuttings.

I put a large amount of cardboard on mine, along with weeds and veg
waste - at this time of the year it's mostly cardboard. Not the greatest
compost in the world but still a very big improvement on the natural
soil of the garden. So the cardboard itself seems to be not a problem.
I'd have thought grass cuttings plus cardboard would work better because
the ready breakdown of the grass cutting would help the breakdown of
the cardboard.

TBH I'm getting a bit peed off with it where it is but I don't have any
ideas about how to go about building something...I have plenty of
materials - 50 gallon drums, old plastic dustbins, timber, mesh etc and
plenty of space too, but it's now just plonked directly on the ground in
permanent shade (and severely wet) behind a shed, which is a bit of a task
getting to with sacks of lawn cuttings in summer.
Is there any websites (UK based pref) concerned with building some kind of
compost heap?

Basic principles are
1) as big as possible - mine are 4ft x 4ft x 3ft
2) As cubic as possible (minimise ratio of surface area to volume to
maintain heat)
3) contact with the ground so the worms will move in
4) you need at least two heaps. I have one filling, one stewing and one
emptying.


From what I've gleaned on here, there's hot and cold? - I don't think I
could maintain a hot one though as the lawn cuttings are a foot deep at a
time.

I'd have thought you were getting quite a bit of heat generated in that
lot? After all, it's the same principle as spontaneous combustion of
poorly dried haystacks.

--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

"Phil L" wrote in message
news
TBH I'm getting a bit peed off with it where it is but I don't have any
ideas about how to go about building something.
get yourself 7 pallets. make 2 squares fill one first, then the other.
That way by the time the 2nd is full, the first is ready to use, by the time
you start refilling the first, the 2nd will be rady to use.
If you are anywhere near me, I have some pallet lids you can have for free.
Simply staple chicken wire to the outside and away yo go. Simple birds eye
view below.
_____
I__I__I

"Phil L" wrote in message
news
No but lawn cuttings and cardboard aren't going to make anything
worthwhile
are they? - or are they?

The stuff that comes out of the far end of a horse is in effect just
lawn cuttings minus the bits the horse kept behind for making more
horse.
So, if horse dung is good stuff, grass cuttings must surely be as good
or better.

[snip]

--
Franz
"The great tragedy of science -- the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis
by an ugly fact."
T.H. Huxley

The stuff that comes out of the far end of a horse is in effect just
lawn cuttings minus the bits the horse kept behind for making more
horse.
So, if horse dung is good stuff, grass cuttings must surely be as good
or better.


I have a dish with a lovely saying in it:

"Quality is like buying Oats! If you want nice, clean oats, you must pay a
fair price; however if you can be satisfied with oats that have already been
through the horse - that comes a little cheaper!!"

When I was in business I charged more than my competitors, except one, and
always gave better quality of service. Now retired some 8 years, I am
'still' getting my old customers contacting me.

Mike

Franz Heymann wrote:
:: "Phil L" wrote in message
:: news ::
::: No but lawn cuttings and cardboard aren't going to make anything
::: worthwhile are they? - or are they?
::
:: The stuff that comes out of the far end of a horse is in effect
:: just lawn cuttings minus the bits the horse kept behind for making
:: more horse.
:: So, if horse dung is good stuff, grass cuttings must surely be as
:: good or better.

I agree but my 'heap' has all but disappeared into the surrounding soil
having not had anything since last September.
Last year I did use a lot of composted lawn cuttings in the baskets and
planters and everything bounced up, I just wanted something 'ready to use'
so to speak....last Spring/Summer the heap had never had anything taken from
it for years previously and I used almost all of it, this year there is very
little to utilise.


--

http://www.blueyonder256k.myby.co.uk/

There are Manure Degrader on the Market, which breaks down horse or cow manure in 30 days, this is done with highly concentrated microorganismen.
You will need only 10 grams of this stuff ot accelerate 1000 litre of dung.

The normal rotting process is appr. 18 months for manure and will not be good for the plant until it is totaly decomposed.

If you need more info please contact me,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil L I have just been and got three large sacks of horse manure from the farm (there is a plentiful and free supply!)...anyway, two of the bags it's only partially rotted - there is a little bit of fresh stuff in it. the last bag was filled with the stuff from the bottom and it had been there for decades! This bag has no visible straw, bedding, 'balls' of manure or any differing colours, it is just pure black and clean - no roots or any other visible 'impurities', with the appearance of expensive compost! I intend to spread some on the flowerbeds now while I'm digging them over and to allow the impending frost to do it's thing, my idea is to use the partially rotted manure in the beds but... My question is this; can i use some of it for my hanging baskets and other planters in May or is it too rich? - I've heard it will burn the young plants? - will it not burn the seedlings in the beds if this is the case? Is there a difference in the extremely well rotted stuff and the newer stuff? TIA -- http://www.blueyonder256k.myby.co.uk/

In article ,
travena wrote:

There are Manure Degrader on the Market, which breaks down horse or cow
manure in 30 days, this is done with highly concentrated
microorganismen.
You will need only 10 grams of this stuff ot accelerate 1000 litre of
dung.

The normal rotting process is appr. 18 months for manure and will not
be good for the plant until it is totaly decomposed.

If you need more info please contact me,

The words "bullshit" and "crap" spring to mind, and perhaps not only
referring to the raw materials.

Putting it politely, your statements are somewhat inaccurate.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"travena" wrote in message
...

There are Manure Degrader on the Market, which breaks down horse or
cow
manure in 30 days, this is done with highly concentrated
microorganismen.
You will need only 10 grams of this stuff ot accelerate 1000 litre
of
dung.

Why is there an upper limit to the amount of dung your micro-organisms
will tackle?
And since they will probably multiply like rabbits while doing their
job, why does one need 10 gms as a starter?

[snip]

Franz

there are Manure Degrader, which helps to release the nutritiuns to the plant much quicker,
normaly you need up to 18 months to decompose dung or manure.
with the help of microorganismen you can achieve this in 30 days, this is done on a natural way, if you need more info pls contact me.

Josef

Dear Nick
This material is used in industry farming and is designed to this job.

MANURE DEGRADER is a powdered blend of selectively adapted organisms blended with crude enzymes and emulsifiers specifically designed to liquefy, digest and deodourise agricultural wastes.

Features

∑ Digests cellulosic fibers, proteins, fats and residual carbohydrates in animal wastes.
∑ Improves consistency of waste for pumping.
∑ Retards odour generation in animal waste.
∑ Maximizes fertilizer value of animal waste material.

Regards
Josef

the will multiply, but go to easier food source, dung or manure is not that easy to break.

in 1 gram of soil you have appr. 4000 different organismen, we just put the most efficient species in one gram overpopulating this 1.000.000 times,

MANURE DEGRADER is a powdered blend of selectively adapted organisms blended with crude enzymes and emulsifiers specifically designed to liquefy, digest and deodourise agricultural wastes.

Features

∑ Digests cellulosic fibers, proteins, fats and residual carbohydrates in animal wastes.
∑ Improves consistency of waste for pumping.
∑ Retards odour generation in animal waste.
∑ Maximizes fertilizer value of animal waste material.

Josef

Franz Heymann wrote:
Why is there an upper limit to the amount of dung your
micro-organisms
will tackle?
It's the old logistic equation. As they work, they too will
excrete/change the local chemical balance until they are
starved/poisioned out of activity.

Of course, if you take 'seed' amounts during the early part of the
process you can infect new piles of manure and get better value for
money. Like taking cuttings. Keep feeding and mixing, that's the trick.

There may be other effects, like a carefully engineered life cycle,
designed to keep the cash flowing to the vendor!


And since they will probably multiply like rabbits while doing their
job, why does one need 10 gms as a starter?
I don't know, but my best guess is that they are supplied packed out to
10g with some sort of filler (like water?) to keep them alive and to
make it easier to handle and subdivide if required. I'd be amazed if
it was 10g of pure bugs.