This topic contains 2 replies, has 3 voices, and was last updated by Jayjay 6 years ago.
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Hi offwego, I’ve been stacking a mixture of well rotted and fresh horse manure (mixed with the horses’ straw bedding) for about six months (maybe less in summer) for several years now in similar-sized wooden bins in a cool shady area and I would definitely have a cover (which also provides shade) over the stuff, because that gives you greater control over how wet or dry it gets. Without any cover it may get too dry and the top layer may not rot well, or alternatively it may get too wet and you will end up with an unspeakably malodorous pile of gloop which will be of no use to man or beast (or plant). But cover it in such a way as to allow the air to get to it, so I would avoid polythene. I use old hippo sacks (I take great care, of course, to make sure the hippo is no longer inside), which are also about the right size for the required tea-cosy effect, Every so often, stick a fork or spade in to see how it’s cooking. If it’s too dry, I add some Chateau MyPee. If it’s covered, it won’t be too wet. Once the initial unmistakable pong has completely gone, it’ll be almost ready for use. I still prefer even at that stage to compost it in the usual way with other ingredients. The additional benefit of the worm casts once the hot-rot stage has passed is worth the extra six weeks’ (in summer) wait, in my opinion.
Hi Offwego, if your horse manure is fresh, (less than 6 weeks old), how about making a hotbed with it? Contain it in 4 pallets tied with baling twine for example. Water it every foot or so and trample it down as you go and it should then generate a lot of heat as it decomposes. Make a lid to contain the heat, I use old glass shower doors or a wooden frame covered with polythene. You could then sit your seed trays on top to germinate your seeds early, I usually cover with cardboard to make a barrier on top of the manure. If this heap is about a cubic metre, the bottom heat should last at least a month.
Obviously, being fresh manure, you can’t plant directly into it because the roots would just be burnt by the ammonia etc. but after a month or so, you could put about 6 inches of a ‘growing medium’ such as home-made compost, spent growbags or bought multipurpose compost on top and grow shallow rooted crops in it such as Paris Market carrots etc. Later, say around May, you could plant a squash or courgette in it grow it with the lid off. Next year, you will end up with just under half a cubic metre of well rotted manure to put on your no-dig beds.
Win win!
The best time to make the most of hotbeds is early in the year, say from mid January, to take advantage of the slowly increasing daylight.
Charles has examples of his hot-beds in his videos.
And here’s a link to one I made in 2017, (I haven’t had the discipline to keep the website up to date I’m afraid!)
https://alottyj.weebly.com/hotbeds-2017.html
Jeanette
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