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cow manure

• Message 1. 

  Posted by chris (U14479141) on Tuesday, 25th January 2011

  good morning to each,i have been offered some cow manure and as this is only my 2nd year of growing my own would like to know if this will be suitable for all of my veg and can i plant straight away,regards chris

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Papa Nopsis (U14479902) on Tuesday, 25th January 2011

  Anything to improve the nutrients in the soil, and good old cow dung is best of all. I was thinking of Horse manure, for the same effect but cow is better. My owl soil is marvellously easy to work top soil but is seriously lacking in nutrients for the best increase of crops.
  
  Planting now?
  
  I have just put some broad beans into a seed try which i will plant out in three or four weeks once they have got going.

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• Message 3

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  Posted by Palaisglide (U3102587) on Tuesday, 25th January 2011

  Chris,
  That brought back visions of going up the top fields and collecting fairly dry cow pats in a sandbag. This would be hung in a large barrel topped up with water and allowed to mature then my Father watered all his plants with it diluted to his own recipe. I think it was a small scoop to a large watering can, we certainly had some of the best Vegetables in our area.
  We also had a midden for animal waste pigs hens goats horses which matured and was then spread with our own compost on the garden when it was prepared for the growing plots. Although the sub soil was sandy the topsoil was always good and very deep.
  So let yours mature then use it. Unless that is it comes as a slurry?
  Frank.

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• Message 4

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  Posted by Italophile (U12516505) on Tuesday, 25th January 2011

  As stated, just about any manure is better than none for soil structure. I prefer horse manure to cow only because cow manure can dry into virtually unbreakable lumps. That aside, just make sure you're not planting into anything like fresh manure. I usually leave very fresh manure for at least six months to let it mature.

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• Message 5

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  Posted by the2 jays (U14383723) on Tuesday, 25th January 2011

  How old is it & is it safe aminopiralid wise? I would be concerned at being offered.

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• Message 6

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  Posted by bogus the fungi man (U14705597) on Tuesday, 25th January 2011

  Take heed of 2jays's advice!
  
  I've heard of an entire allotment crops that has been wasted by the addition of free cow manure supplied by a farmer who's beasts have eaten grass treated with aminopiralid weed killer.
  
  Not only for the first year but the second season too. Check it out and make sure the source is not from pastures treated with weed killer.
  
  I prefer horse manure (see message 4) and because horse owners are less likely to spray their pastures. It's still best to check, just in case.

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• Message 7

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  Posted by TallyHo (U2364821) on Wednesday, 26th January 2011

  Happened to me in 2008. I lost all my potatoes, tomatoes and beans and it killed several large garden shrubs too.
  
  When using manure, it's advisable to do a test before you put any on the beds… mix up a 50:50 mixture and sow some tomato seeds undercover, then wait and see how they get on. The symptoms are ferny leaves and poor growth. If that's what you get, get in touch with this website:
  
  They won't offer any compensation, but they did eventually send a couple of men to scrape up the poisoned horse manure and take it away. I actually went back to the stables where I got the manure from and they denied all knowledge, it could have come in via the horse's straw bedding, winter hay, nobody seemed to know. Needless to say I don't use manure any more — most horse owners buy in some winter food even if they don't spray their own pasture.

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• Message 8

  , in reply to message 7.

  Posted by realfood (U13916672) on Friday, 28th January 2011

  Roughly half the cases reported last year of aminopyralid contamination came from horse manure. If they buy in hay, there is a risk.

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