Establishing gardens with sheep manure

[Oystein]

Hello everyone.

I have just been offered a large amount of 8+ years old sheep manure from a local farmer, and hope to be able to use this to establish a no dig garden.

The manure has been stored in a barn since the farmer built a new one in 2009, and at least the top 30 cm has a lovely deep brown colour, light, granulated texture and a faint, earthy smell to it. The sheep have been standing right above the basement where the manure is stored, and besides the odd traces of hay on top there is nothing but manure and urin from the sheep that has been added. I’ve attached a photo of a sample taken from the top 5 cm.

The approach I am planning to take with the garden is to cover the ground with large sheets of cardboard and cover this with 10 cm compost (in the form of the well-rotted sheep manure), with wood chip paths between the beds (the garden will be used for teaching people of all ages, so clear distinctions between paths and beds are helpful).

As far as I understand the logic of this method, there is no way that compost as old as this can burn or shock the plants, and that it acts as primarily a mulch and slow-release ‘fertiliser’ because of all the goodness it brings to the soil.

We also have good access to shell sand as the garden is close to the sea, and I have been told that adding some of this can help preventing the nutrients in the compost from being locked up. My plan as of now is to add some shell sand and rock dust to the sheep compost and leave it at that.

It is possible that I am over-complicating this, but better safe than sorry and it would be good to know that we’re doing a proper job right from the start.

I will be very grateful for your thoughts and suggestions.

[Author]

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