Too Much Manure!

[Big DParticipant]

Hi Charles

We started no-dig last autumn by clearing our existing beds of weeds and applying 6″ of horse manure which has reduced quite a bit but we are still left with too much on top for sowing carrots, parnsips, broad beans although probably potatoes might be okay in a few weeks time? Do we rake back the manure and put it on the compost heap so that we can sow seeds? Not sure what to do now.

Big D

[charlesModerator]

 I wonder how well rotted the manure is. Six inches is a one off amount to improve poor soil and kill weeds, normally I recommend one to two inches. So perhaps there is still a lot of litter like stray, paper or even wood?

Or if the manure is reasonably well rotted and going to soft, dark humus then you can sow into it. Have a go, and for broad beans I suggest using a dibber to make holes two to three inches deep. 

[Big DParticipant]

Hi Charles

I can get a very large supply of newly collected leaves and they are bagged in black bin liners. Can I keep them in the bags if I put holes in them or do they need to be exposed to the air. My leaf compost area isn’t big enough to cope with all these leaves but it seemed a waste not to take up the offer!

Big D

[charlesModerator]

 It is a good plan, for a year or more, the leaves will be moist and decompose slowly.

Did you sow into the decomposing manure last spring?

[Big DParticipant]

Thanks Charles – that is good news and a lot of lovely leaf mould eventually!

When this has turned into leaf mould, would I use this instead of manure or just on the carrots/parsnip areas?

The manure worked well apart from the carrots and parnsips although that could have been the weather as I know people locally sowed 2 or 3 times and still did not get them. I think you were right and that it was not completely rotted down. But, all the other veg did well with the manure.

The bonus this year was that it kept the weeds down with all that rain in spring compared with friends’ allotments that had not covered their soil and had to start again. It also protected the soil from all the rain. Have already started adding 1″-2″ layer this year as I am sold on the no dig method!!!

Big D

[charlesModerator]

 I am glad your first year of no dig has been good! Yes you could use the leaf mould instead of (or with) compost and manure, but wait until it is well broken down, no leaves visible, reasonably crumbly and soft.

Manure is a tricky word and I am wary of misunderstandings. I use it to mean "composted manure" when it has been stacked for eight to twelve months, usually with some bedding which the animals lay on, although it is possible with horse droppings (which are more fibrous) to compost them pure.

I sow parsnips and carrots in manure spread the previous autumn, so it is soft and fluffy; they germinate well, grow superbly and are really easy to manage with few weeds. I was just harvesting some this week (parsnip sown March, carrot early June), with dense clay stuck to their lower parts! So I suspect that yours were indeed sown in manure with too much undecomposed litter, and it will work better next year as you can see the difference now.

[Big DParticipant]

Hi Charles

We get the manure from a local Riding for the Disabled stables and we know it is good as the manager has an allotment on site and uses it himself and have checked that that it does not contain aminopyralid. It does contain straw and other bedding which I think is based on paper, so all in all, good stuff.

We stacked our first 21 bags of leaves this morning with more to come. I feel it is like putting money in the bank for spending later and knowing it will be there when we need it! A great feeling of satisfaction!!

I shall look forward to a good crop of carrots and parsnips next year!

Thanks for your support Charles which is most welcomed.

I missed you at the RHS show last week!!

Best wishes

Big D

[charlesModerator]

 I know how you feel Big D, creating abundance for the future, really good.
It felt strange not going to the RHS show: they had changed the format and then invited attendance at such short notice, I hope it was good.

[Big DParticipant]

Not as good usual as there were spaces – probably for the same reason you mentioned. The previous show, Harvest Festival, two weeks before,was a disappointment as it was only in the small hall (the large hall is now rented out to a local school) and consisted of exhibitions of large vegetables and only one nursery selling items. We probably will not be going to this one next year – more time on the plot instead!!

Big D

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