Hi. I have dug the last of the potatoes and now want to nurture the plot over winter. I have access to horse manure and have a question on how to use it. The books I read all say it must be "well rotted" but the stuff I will get is straight from the paddock and so is quite fresh. How do you rot the manure! I had been intending to dig trenches in the plot and fill with the manure then cover back up with the soil I had removed. This seems to be the thing to do from my books. I was then going to plan a green manure crop over the top for extra nutrients (broad beans and a lupin/mustard mix from Oderings). Any tips please! Am I doing the right thing! And how to rot the manure! Thank you in advance
reggienz,
Mar 29, 6:32pm
I used to get horse manure that had been mixed with sawdust and left in a heap for about a year. Grew the best spuds I've ever had.
wilco65,
Mar 29, 9:10pm
thanks - I hope for bumper crop next year too!
beth39,
Mar 29, 9:23pm
I have been told by a keen vege gardener, who has horses , that horse manure is the only manure that can be put directly into the garden with the plants .
maybe someone could verify this , as I am interested to !
toffeey,
Mar 29, 10:20pm
I've put fresh manure into my new garden. Everything is alive and thriving.
arabelle,
Mar 30, 3:59am
Chicken is the hottest and should be left 6-12mth [at least] Horse is also hot and best to leave either in sacks or in a corner where you can pull out a lot of the weeds, something to do with their digestion that seeds go straight thro. I always waitat least 2 seasons.[6mth]rabbit/goat/sheep/llama/donkey- , can go straight in and seedlings planted. Thats what I was told/read and follow. BUT if you puthorse in now then it has autumn -winter to rot down and be ready for the spring seedlings. I do think that horse does encourage leaf growth so maybe the greens can take it, but let a year go by before crops, like cauli and other 'fruiting' veges are put into that patch, nothing worse than all leaf and no substance
wendalls,
Mar 30, 6:45am
well if weeds grow in it then it cant be too bad for other plants surely! my Mum has always used it straight off the paddock. the thought of growing my spuds in poo is a bit off putting tho!
punkinthefirst,
Mar 30, 7:05am
Next year's veges will love it .it'll be all broken down by the time you come to plant. Though you could make a "hot bed" by digging a wide trench out closer to spring, and fill it, first with a thick layer of fresh horse manure, then with the soil you remove from the trench. The horse manure will heat up, then cool again. As soon as the top soil returns to about 15 - 20 degrees C, plant your early veges, and protect them from frost. Horse manure has only two disadvantages - it can be full of weeds, and it can carry tetanus spores, a nasty disease that can kill you. Make sure your tetanus vaccinations are up to date, and you'll be OK.
beebb3,
Mar 30, 9:11pm
I always use fresh manure straight from the paddocks, have done for as long as I can remember, never had any plants die, makes wonderful compost, breaks down, depends whether the horses have been hard fed or not too, cos the birds will break it down first, but otherwise mother nature will slowly break the balls down. Have used it on my raised garden, but never again, just brought in too many weeds, mainly clover but in saying that, they are easy to pull out, but have moved onto sheep pellets, they have given me excellent results, along with the normals, general, blood n bone and some lime, had wonderful veges.
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