Gardening

amenity2 · Gardening

Does anyone know of a quick way to mature Horse manure?

My garden needs a bit of nourishment and due to the incredible amount of work and time we have put into it to bring it too an acceptable state for vegetables the nourishment side of things has fallen behind.

The local stables is apparently only too pleased to give away this precious stuff, but its a bit raw.

All puns and rhyme not intended.

Lin

Here we go Amenity
Well aged manures are best for all gardening tasks ,as you well know. If you only have fresh manure ,hot composting is best. if you hot compost fresh animal manure to an internal temperature of about 140F for a week ,mixed with a high carbon matter .You should end up with a safe,healthy,mature composted product that has removed almost all of the potential pathogens , diseases ,and weed seeds in the original animal manure.
Nothing to lose but a pile of poo ,.Try it and see if it works.

amenity2

Brilliant Lin, what is "high carbon matter" I can think of such but don't suppose charcoal would be what you have in mind?

Will do anyway, thanks a bunch.

Lin

I would imagine the cinders from a coal fire or bonfire would suffice Amenity. I reckon you will have to dismantle your compost heap ,pile the raw manure up and add cinders then bury it under the compost to get the sort of temp you need.
My motto in the garden is ...if it dies ,it wern't meant to be there .I am happy though as all 4 of my fruit trees have begun to leaf up abit ,fingers crossed.

amenity2

Aha!

Thanks Lin.

ivan burit

As i am lost on such things as gardens
(except basic things like cutting green grass, and basic things growing in pots) Shocked

i cannot help either of you great gardeners,
so i`ll shut up !. Rolling Eyes

I am only at ease in mechanicle things and the likes.

amenity2

An update for those that do a bit of gardening, my wifes potatoes and beans and peas roaring ahead, the freshly planted fruit trees (tiny two year old plants) out in blossom.

Raised beds well worth the trouble if like us top soil is scarce.

Finally Tadpoles in vast numbers in new pond (very small wild life affair) friend gave us the frogsporn.

amenity2

Lin, am getting on with the composter, thanks.

amenity2

Don't know from personal experience but am assured by a very keen gardening type that he has been experimenting with planting seed at night.

Why well weed seeds need light to germinate so somehow planting at night stops this growth and tests reveal much earlier growth than from day time planting.

Apparently the Dutch farmers are planting at night for earlier and larger crop yields.

Can anyone verify this?

Lin

I have heard of this Amenity ,I think the moon cycle also has a lot to do with it too. I think, but don't qwuote me on this ,that you are meant to plant when the moon is waxing not waning .
Do you know ? ,I tink I will give this a go next spring .I'll plant half my seeds in the day and half in the night,well it's not going to cost me anything except giving my neighbours more evidence that I have finally lost the plot.