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Fresh Manure

• Message 1. 

  Posted by madeleineR (U14451255) on Wednesday, 16th February 2011

  I really need some help here!
  
  I have agreed to help with digging in some manure to a friend's allotment plot - they are in their 70's and the task is now getting too much for them. Anyway a couple of weeks ago they ordered some cow manure to be delivered to their plot. It was based on what they had seen from a neighbour's plot, the stuff of which was pretty well rotted. They used the same supplier/farmer.
  
  I went up there today to see that they had started spreading what had been delivered over the whole area with the intention of digging it all in - not my way of doing things as you end up doing "double" digging which is harder on the back. I do trench digging and use my own compost anyway.
  
  Anyway this manure was not the same stuff as had been seen originally. It is very fresh - it smells, is yellowy, full of straw and very sticky. Also it is attracting flies still. It is what i would call "fresh" manure as opposed to "well rotted".
  
  Now my question is, what happens if veggies are planted on areas where fresh manure has been incorporated into the soil? All the books say use "well rotted" manure but none of them give any reasons why? How would this stuff affect their seedlings and other veggies?
  
  My instinct tells me to advise them to abandon this pile of stuff til another year and until it is well decayed but I would need some solid reasons to convince them into changing their plans.

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by daintiness (U3887838) on Wednesday, 16th February 2011

  Planting into fresh manure will burn young plants.The chemicals in the manure are too strong and haven't ben broken down yet eg ammonia.It would be a good idea to pile it up and cover it with carpet/black polythene or the like and as you suggest leave it till the autumn or next year.If the allotment has been manured in previous years as long as fertiliser eg growmore is added this year all should be well.

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by punpun (U14553477) on Wednesday, 16th February 2011

  Hi,
  if you plant root veg, ie carrots /parsnip etc they'll end up forked, this is when the carrot/parsnip has more than one main root and is no good for cooking,
  the reason is that the manure is far to rich and has not rooted enough,
  
  potatoes,
  Again if you use this very fresh "cow" manure for your spuds you'll end up with lots of top growth and the potatoes will be very small and again not woth the effort.
  
  If however you have mature fruit tree's (apple/ pears°) you can use this fresh manure as a summer mulch, this will both keep the soil from drying out and also act as a feed.
  
  If i had a delivery such as your friend have recieved I'd make a compost heap with the cow manure "NOW" and add soil and general garden waste to the heap,
  
  I wouldnt cover it as the fresh manure will provide enough heat to cook all it's contents and infact putting any material on the top during the summer could cause a fire.
  
  Tell you friend they have what is called liquid gold in their delivery and not tobe worried.
  
  The advice given by daintines ref them already having the plot manured last year and to just add general fertilizer is spot on.

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by madeleineR (U14451255) on Wednesday, 16th February 2011

  Thanks Daintiness.
  
  Yes I had a suspicion the reason might be something like amonia. From the bit of digging I did today, the soil looks to me to be pretty good structurally so they might be ok with just adding growmore as you suggest. Also, I suppose it should be distrurbed as little as possible then (i.e. no turning) so as not to aerate it and lessen the structure. Luckily the weeds seem to be shallow-rooting and removable by just inserting a fork to loosen them.
  
  But oh dear - a Huge pile which will have to be moved.
  
  Thanks

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• Message 5

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by madeleineR (U14451255) on Wednesday, 16th February 2011

  Thanks Punpun
  
  My friends have never been much into compost heaps, unlike me, so the idea, after going to the trouble of ordering the stuff and of waiting until autumn will not go down too well with them . Havn't told them yet of my feelings and ( yours and daintiness's thoughts on the situation). Sooooooooo hopfully my enthusiasm for compost and encouragement to get their heap going really well for a change will be enough to smooth the situation.
  
  Thanks again

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• Message 6

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by Italophile (U12516505) on Thursday, 17th February 2011

  Agree with all of the above with the additional thought that I'm bitterly BITTERLY jealous. I would kill for that much cow poo fresh, aged or whatever.

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• Message 7

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Sanducho (U14788951) on Thursday, 17th February 2011

  I am not expert but I believe we use well rotted in order not to burn the roots of the plants/crops about to be planted. Fresh manure would burn your hand if you held it, so it will certainly burn delicate roots and kill the plant.
  
  Sanducho

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• Message 8

  , in reply to message 7.

  Posted by madeleineR (U14451255) on Friday, 18th February 2011

  Update
  
  Oh Dear! Despite my warnings to my friends, they are being very stubborn and insisting that the manure be dug in! He vows that many years ago when he did same, he had a wonderful crop but i am wondering if his memory is playing tricks and that the manure was older than the stuff I have been digging in for him. The idea of potatoes and any seedlings trying to survive in the sticky yellow stuff, nevermind grow makes me cringe. Have done my best, but time will tell what happens. He did also mention using a rotivator but I dont think it will make much difference.
  
  Anyway, many thanks everyone for your ideas and confirmations of my suspicions. WIll watch with interest over the next few months and will keep you posted about the success/failure this year.
  
  Madeleine
  

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