I need a 360 degree manure guide!!
johngreen
Posts: 58
I have so many questions about manure still and at the risk of starting to become annoying in this forum I am posting again.
I want to be able to tell if manure is safe to put in the garden, when its ready, what it should look like, smell like,, how long it needs to be aged, if it can be used without composting, etc ,so i will make some number questions and hopefully someone can answer them.
1-Will manure that is older than 20 years and is basically just black soil still have nutrients in it?
2-can i use manure that has been laying in the bush for a year, and is dry and doesn't really smell like poop anymore be used two weeks before transplanting plants?
3-if manure is old and dry all the way through is that a sign that its okay to use?
any other knowledge on manure is much appreciated, i realize I'm probably repeated myself here, but with so many answers, and one person telling you that manure is not even good because the animals have taken most of the nutrients while eating the food, and another person telling you that manure can be used as long as its dry and doesn't smell like poop, i get confused!
Posts
I think you are over-analysing it John. It's simple - fresh manure needs to be composted for at least 3 months. Once it no longer smells like dung but more like compost, then it is ready. If left in the open, rain will eventually wash out the nutrients so 20 year old composted manure will be excellent if under cover (or in a very large pile outside - the nutrients will have been washed down to the lower layers) but pretty useless if it is in a small pile and has been rained on for all of that time.
Hi New Question'
When I open my composter it is crawling with all manner of garden pests slugs wood lice small flies etc and some good worms will they eventually disappear or is this a disaster waiting to happen for my veg plot. ?
John, Bob has it in a nutshell - just get that manure into your soil
Kev, those creatures aren't garden pests - they're helping to make your compost - it wouldn't happen without them. Even the slugs will be the types that eat rotting vegetation, not fresh new growth. You've got a miracle happening in there - enjoy
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
ok thats good so if i use from bottom hatch for runner trench should be ok or do i need to wait till next year ?