Community › Community › No dig gardening › Preparing the ground › 3 month old manure for over winter?
- This topic has 6 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 10 months ago by charles.
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6th October 2014 at 3:16 pm #22149n180Member
I’m not planning on planting anything on the new allotment until the spring, but to prepare the ground now can I add 3 or 4 month old horse manure to add organic matter and cover with landscape fabric to clear up weeds over the winter? By the time I plant in the plot the horse manure will be about 8 months old and hopefully somewhat rotted into the soil.
Incidentally, can I add fresh manure and cover with mulch for about 8 months if I’m not planning on planting anything for 8 months or is fresh manure not recommended for more reasons than just the fact it will burn seedlings?
Thanks in advance.
6th October 2014 at 4:25 pm #25684RhysParticipantI did this last year on aspargus crowns (we had a record harvest this year), comfrey and rhubarb plants (both grew prodigiously through the season), the bed where potatoes would be grown (good yields of both 1st earlies and maincrop), and new raspberry plants did extraordinarily well last year after relatively fresh compost was put at their base in the spring.
6th October 2014 at 6:51 pm #25685charlesModeratorInteresting question and reply, thanks rtj. For weed control the fresher manure is effective for sure. Only risk is some leaching of nutrients as they are more soluble in water when manure is not composted. That, for me, is an important reason for composting first and using 12-18 month old manure. It means planning ahead and having a heap somewhere in the garden, maturing.
6th October 2014 at 8:56 pm #25686n180MemberI certainly acknowledge composting it for a year first would be much better, but as this is my first year getting into it all, I have not had a year to compost the manure and I can only get ahold of manure that is about 3 months old. I certainly don’t feel like sitting around for a year doing nothing except waiting for the manure to compost and to buy that much compost is too expensive. That is why I was wondering if it would be ok.
Thanks for sharing your experience rtj, certainly gave me more confidence. Charles, I think for my first year I will have to risk losing some of the nutrients from the manure as I don’t seem to have many other options available to keep it no dig. Am I right in thinking that the worst that can happen is that I don’t get a brilliant crop due to leaching of some of the nutrients, but no other damage will be done either short or long term by using manure this young? By next year I will hopefully have my manure well composted.
7th October 2014 at 4:09 am #25687charlesModeratorWhen you said fresh, I thought fresh!! So 3 months is part way there and yes, you will be fine for most veg, except for sowing parsnip and carrots next spring etc. Larger module-raise plants and alliums should grow well. Slugs will probably be more numerous than usual.
I have to be cautious what I write here, if I say “its ok to spread fresh manure” that can be misinterpreted. And the words can mean many things: how fresh is fresh? how much manure and how much bedding? what bedding? etc
You are right, start growing!
7th October 2014 at 8:24 am #25688n180MemberThanks for the clarification, yes I understand you have to be careful what you write as a lot of people including myself will act on your advice.
Just one last thing on this 3 month old horse manure thing (and this will probably show you how little I understand at the moment), can I plant trees into it (apple, pear, plum) either bareroot or from pots, as I do want to get my dwarf size trees in this winter at some point too, or will 3 month old manure be too strong for the trees. I’m thinking if some vegs can handle it trees should be fine?
7th October 2014 at 11:19 am #25689charlesModeratorAgain irs about being precise – when you say “plant trees into it”, what exactly are you thinking? Not literally into it I hope.
I recommend you plant trees in the soil, backfill with soil only and then mulch with the young manure on top, that will be fine. See my Myths book for more clarification on this and many other confusions, good luck.
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