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Filling a Raised Bed
I have built some raised beds 450mm high and I have to fill them. I intend to grow bedding plants in them. I have access to a plentiful supply of well rotted horse manure with no straw or wood chip. Would it be wise to use this on its own, or should I mix with top soil?
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When you say horse manure with no straw, do you mean pure poo or that the straw is rotted down with the manure until you cannot see the different components? If it is a mix of straw and poo you would want to dig it into your topsoil in generous amounts but if it is just poo, I would be more conservative, perhaps putting it on the compost heap and letting it blend in.
Having said that, Dove or Nut may come along and tell you I'm talking rubbish.....
Posy - or they might say you're talking s*** !
Actually - you're not.
If you have well rotted manure, mix it with other compost and soil to make a good medium. It can then be used right away. Fresh stuff can simply be laid on top of other soil if you don't intend using the beds till next year anyway - presumably that's the case as you've said you want to use it for bedding plants. The worms and weather will then mix it for you
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thank you all for that. I have pure pooh picked form the field and stored in a compost bin made from 4 pallets.