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Using horse manure

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  • Thank you Fairygirl image

  • GWRSGWRS Posts: 8,478

    Hello , certainly made a good start , Fairygirl is right , it is good when you start getting the benefits 

    Wondered what the " angle iron " was for ?

    I a assume you are going to use comfrey for a liquid feed 

    Let's us known how you get on image

  • I am also curious on the angle iron. The chap who had the plot gave it up three years ago after the lower half flooded. Apparently the ground is so compacted to the left from the horses. I think that it is more to do with the ditch that is about 150 meters away hasn't been cleared in decades. Also supposedly it hasn't flooded since image

    He is now in with another chap three up from mine. He should be mightily embarrassed at the amount of glass that he left behind. I suspect that when they moved the greenhouse they broke glass and decided to replace it with new glass or perspex.

    My thinking is still to create compost bins on the horse field side, so that if flooding occurs the compost bins would help to stop the water coming in to the allotment. The horses side is to the right of the black plastic in the second photo. The fence needs work as it has been done in by the horses leaning over to look for some nosh.

    Thoughts on that (not the horses noshing but the compost bins retarding any flood waters)?

    I have decided to cover with the black plastic until the end of October. Then lift it and do more weed clearing. Last night went to dig up the last angle iron and fortunately it broke off a few feet down so came out relatively easily. Also this tree stump came out relatively easily as well. Only another 12 or 15 to go. They are further up the allotment, so they can wait until the end of the year. I want to try and get two more roles of the plastic down before me (sic) hols on Saturday. Time running out so best get down tonight with the brush cutter.

    What I found hardest last night was trying to lift old membrane. There was small shrub/tree next to it and the roots had grown under and through and matted on it. Still a few more victories.

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    I was advised by a chap on my FB that I was at school with, who has his own landscape gardening business in Belgium to get one of these. They come in two or three blade. I have tried both the standard flat blade that came with the strimmer and this one. For thick weeds, brambles etc. this work far better than the flat one.

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  • GWRS - Just came across a page here http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/talkback/new-allotment-omg/220407-10.html/ where you have a pic. Any more start to now?

  • GWRSGWRS Posts: 8,478

    Hello , there is a more up today's forum site on the fruit & veg site which is new allotments no.2 

    I wouldn't have thought compost bins would completely stop flooding but would help , as would the ditch if it was cleared 

    Yes horses feeding on your crops could be a problem , you could plant jureslum artichokes in a small section by the fence to see how far they can lean over 

    Would recommend that any wooden fence posts are concreted in with " post concrete "

    Makes your plot more interesting having horses 

    Have a good holiday , some where warm ?image

  • Thanks GWRS

    Kefalonia, which seems to be cooling down a bit in the last week. Now mainly about 28 or 29 image

  • Fairygirl / GWRS

    Morning

    Any idea what this is? It is growing on some of the old horse manure that I will have access to. Not in all of it, just the stuff that is about 3 years old.

    I want to know if I should avoid this part of the manure when I start collecting it after my holidays? I see that people are always warning or horsetail and marestail but looking at photos online I don't think it is either of those.

    I have now covered as much as I can and hopefully with the bricks and old branches on, it will stop it blowing off. I have covered about 350m2. Hopefully no-one comes and nicks the sheeting either.

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  • GWRSGWRS Posts: 8,478

    Morning , the good news it is not horsetail , I have some on the bottom of my allotment , the worse possible weed to have in my opinion but don't know , I would cut it down any way before it seeds 

    personally I would avoid it , in case it regrows from the roots 

    I trust you are keeping well , packed ready for hols ?image

  • Ok great thanks.

    My GF is busy packing. Luckily she laid out my outfits and I only had to glance at them. And she went and got me a small jar of Marmite and a small bottle of HP sauce yesterday. Breakfasts can get a bit boring on holiday as it's the same everyday. I am skiving at work as I have no motivation. No proper holiday since Xmas. I won't do that again. Which reminds me I should look at my schedule for next year and take 1 week at Easter, 2 in the summer, 1 in Oct leaving 3 days over the Xmas and New Year.

  • GWRSGWRS Posts: 8,478

    Hello , definately need to have regular holidays to keep motivation going 

    Pleased to say fully retired from 1st of Jan this year but can still remember juggling holiday rotas 

    Have a good time , have been to Greece in the past and always had good holidays there image

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