Horse Manure

[theabsinthefairy]

Hi
Going back to horse manure on the veggie ground - I don't know if this is fresh ground being broken for the first planting - in which case it most likely won't need any fertiliser at all for the first crop season.

So if you are not sure how well rotted the manure is, take it all and layit out in three to four raised beds and use them as 'hot' compost beds. This is an excellent and extremely efficient way of 'starting' a lot of seedlings before transplanting out to the veggie plot. - Think greenhouse without the greenhouse. Herbs do very well on this as well as all the suculents such as pumpkin and courgettes etc. We have also found that tomatoes started this way seem to be more blight resistant.

Chuck a couple of black plastic bags full of manure in a shady corner and leave to rot for about 6 months and you will have the ideal conditions for growing button mushrooms, just rip the bag open like a grow bag and add spores.

This way after 12 months when you have used the existing nutrients in the soil, your well rotted heaps are ready for digging into the ground, do this in autumn before any winter frosts, and then turn the soil over again in spring a couple of weeks before planting - huge amounts of digging are therefore not required.

Crops such as carrots and parsnips do not do well in freshly manured soil. Give the manure time to leach into the ground before planting.

I pick my poo (horse that is) - not just because of horse health issues and management of the grazing area but because it is shameful to waste such an excellent natural commodity by leaving it lying around. Harrowing it into the ground afterwards does not address worm recontamination issues, but I have seen that recommended recently as an ideal alternative to a wheelbarrow and fork.


Monika

[Thurston Garden]

I used to be mildly cruel when the field was barley - kids used to come from the site and run amok through it. When i said they should not be in there, they just looked at me like I had 2 heads. When I told them that there were deer in the woods and the barley was full of ticks (true) which would be burrowing into their skin (not true!) they started shrieking at the top of their head and fled back to their caravans never to be seen again. Bad me huh..... nop.....

[ina]

Lots of farmers put up signs: Danger - bull in field. Only works if the field in question is fenced, of course. And preferably if you can't see all of it from the front.

[Thurston Garden]

When the field was set-aside, someone offered to come and spray slurry all over it, just before Easter weekend. i did not take them up on the offer and ended up hosting what looked like Crufts.

[ina]

Oh dear, not the kind of muck that could have come in useful!

What about some signs - caution, landmines?

[Peggy Sue]

or even 'Danger: Foot & Mouth'! Not funny but I know a farmer who ahs left up warnings of disinfecting since the last time and it does make people think twice.

What a shame we are packed in like sardines in this country (or at least some pasrts of) and there isn't lovely alternatives to bring you dogs/children etc. I know my dog is very grateful to be able to romp around the field where my horse is, otherwise it's on a lead around the streets or a car journey- it does annoy me to have to use the car and polute the world just for the dog!! Thre is a danger all my eco-efforts fail whent he animals are concerned- I can't get their supplements without getting plastic. I find myself cycling to work then driving to get bags of horsefeed. Still at least with the new allotment I have good use for the poo!

[Thurston Garden]

Completely off thread, but linked to my caravan site gripe this morning. This afternoon, I was going up to feed the pigs and noticed lots of smoke coming from the woods. On getting closer, it was thankfully coming for a nearby field (stubble) - a field where I had directed some kids with a scrambler motor bike days earlier - well, to ask the farmer if they could ride the bike in it and she said yes. The kids had been messing about with a lighter. Dropped it and set the stubble on fire. It was really breezy and the fire was spreading rapidly. When I got there, they were just standing looking at it. The wind was blowing it in the direction of my pigs, although a road separated the two.

When I asked who had a phone, they said why? Cos I'm going to phone the fire brigade I said. A lad of about 14 proffered his phone - I called them and then tried to contain the fire - stop it reaching some woods on the fields edge. The phone kid then burst into tears - admitted dropping the lighter and was crapping himself because he thought he was going to get locked up. When I asked why nobody had phoned the fire brigade (they were all just standing watching the fire spread when I ran to the field) he said they did not want to get into trouble! Poor kid bawled his eyes out until the fire brigade appeared. I sent him out onto the road to watch for the fire engine and direct them to the field gate.

Who knows what would have happened if had not been at home (like yesterday )

[Annpan]

Thank goodness you were

As for the kid, I am sure he'd think twice before mucking about with lighters again

Still, a little interest brought to your day

[Thurston Garden]

Yep - my humour was wasted on the kid trying to cheer him up....look on the bright side, at least you get to see a fire engine!........at least you will be able to write something good on 'what I did on my summer holidays' when you go back to school hehe. He just looked at me and cried more....

Never a dull moment in the countryside!

[Thomzo]

Well it's quite amazing that they didn't just run away but actually stayed and ended up facing the music. A lesson learned and, hopefully, not too much damage done.

Zoe

[Millymollymandy]

Thurston Garden - can't you put up some electric fencing on the caravan park side to keep them out of your field? And turn it up to highest voltage?

[ina]

In a way, it gives me hope that that kid was still able to cry about it. So he obviously realised what he'd done was wrong, including the not calling the firebrigade. And haven't we all done something stupid in our youth? (It's a long time ago, but I'm sure I did - although I can't recall anything just now!)