No dig bed preperation – Option 1. Can I use horse manure as my organic matter?

[ElizaBParticipant]

Hi Charles,

I’ve got a new allotment, have just cleared an abundance of nettles and brambles, and am now preparing the beds for next year’s growth. As per your instructions for how to prepare beds using no-dig option 1, I need a few inches of organic matter under my polythene.

When asked about ‘organic matter’, my garden centre says: “We sell Country Natural which is horse manure – 4 bags for £12.00 and Oaktree Horse Manure at £3.50 a bag”. Will either of these suffice, or should I be looking for green compost?

Kindest regards,

Eliza

[charlesModerator]

Eliza, pretty much any organic matter is good, to feed soil microbes and fauna as much as to add plant nutrients. Horse manure is fine. Those bags are probably quite dense and concentrated, even an inch layer/3cm will be good for now.

[Gerry JohnParticipant]

I also am starting no dig on my allotment that is a full plot. Using option 1 for part of the plot, I have used collected leaves as a 3″ mulch because of their availability and cost of £0.

Using option 2 for my beds is where I have spent money on mushroom compost as well as using free well composted horse manure and home made compost.

[DerekParticipant]

Back in the summer I used a 6inch layer of pure horse manure, partly rotted, to create new beds. This was virtually pure droppings gathered from the fields, very little stable litter contained in it. The plan was to leave it covered under polythene till spring and plant in 2018 however impatience won through and I planted some overwintering crops in it during September/October. (Spring cabbage, onions, garlic, strawberries) Never seen growth like it. Amazing.
Looking forward to next season if this is anything to go by.

[charlesModerator]

Great to hear your experiences Gerry John and dmitch, lovely that you were tempted, and have those results

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