Grow Your Own Magazine

Hello everyone, just been lookin on freecycle and there is some horse manure on offer.

Now I am tempted to get some but truly don't know WHAT AM I MEANT TO DO WITH IT?!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can anyone guide me in the right direction please???

I think it's supposed to be left for a while to rot down isn't it? Otherwise it burns plants. I've never used the stuff myself so am only going on what I can vaguely remember.... sorry

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Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

Hi Vodoo,

What is freecycle? Never heard off it.

Mandy

Mandy - Freecycle is an internet site where people who have 'stuff' they no longer want give it away free of charge. It's brilliant and you can find which area you are in and join free on www.freecycle.com Well worth it!

Voodoo - I've been using horse manure for ages, best left to age for about six months before using, but at this time of the year I put it neat on my empty beds and let the worms drag it in over winter. By spring it is just right to plant into for all your hungry crops. Of course you would need to work out in advance what was going into which bed! It's good stuff, plenty of heat - the victorians used to use it to make hot beds. Want to have a go myself this year!

Thanks Squirril, Vodoo,

I will check this out

Mandy

Think I'll stick with the electric blanket if you don't mind !

Hey Squirrel,

is it possible you meant http://www.freecycle.org/ rather than the .com you posted?

Cheers,
Ian.

Hi Ian - found the site, unfortunately I dont want a yahoo! ID and all the blurb they would send me (the OH is i/c the pc) - it sounds a fab idea for those who dont mind though. dexterdog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

You can put it on your rhubarb ....... I prefer custard myself

If it's fresh Stack it for 6-12 months then apply liberally to the garden. You may want to enquire if the Horse have been treated with anything as this sometimes cones out as residue in the er you-know-what

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

If it's straw based, you can put it on beds now for next year
However if it shavings based , you need to put it aside for at least a year if you have room!
Nice to have free muck eh??

Hi voodoo, we dragged loads of bags of fresh manure up the hill to our plot a few weeks ago & piled it into a heap. I turned it over the other day & it was crawling with worms!! Took this to be a good sign!
I was going to pile it onto empty beds to rot down as we have'nt got much in left growing for the winter & I'm hoping it will keep the weeds down. The only thing I'm not sure about is whether all my crops for next year need the soil manured. I know the potatoes do tho.
Great to get it free, we had to pay 50p a bag. Need to find someone with a horse........

Oops! You are quite right IanP - sorry folks!

There are stables around us with big 'free manure' signs. Maybe it would be worth asking at any local to you.

I think I'm gonna go for it... there's some space at the back of the shed to keep it if it needs time to rot...and it is free after all!!!!!

Got a friend who has 3 horses......so you can guess where I'm going to get my manure from! Just one basic question - has anyone got any tips on what/how to transport it in the back of my car without getting it everywhere?! dexterdog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Shovel it into feed sacks Dexterdog!

OK - as long as they dont fall over! guess it would be a b****r to clean if they fell over! dexterdog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

I've got the same problem! I've got a small trailer but the car I have at present has no tow hitch!

This is how comitted I am (or should be), I am even contemplating ditching my car and getting an open backed Landrover for allotment toting. You never know, some of the other allotmenteers might need some muck delivered also.

I'll probably get the Landrover signwritten 'Snadgers Muck Wagon' What do you think?

PS . Somehow don't think I'll get many invites to parties (Poooh!)

If I lived closer Snadge, I'd come to your party!! Shame I can't afford another vehicle, so gotta do with my estate (that's because of Dexter the dog) but it should do the job OK. Just don't want to have Dexter's car space covered in u-know-what! My mate is in the USA this week, but have already warned her I'm going over next week for my load of poo! dexterdog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

if anyone other than a Grape was to read our conversations, they would wonder what the earth we are doing/talking about! u've got to be into Growing Your Own to understand! dexterdog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Sure you'll get the invites Snadger, you'll just not be asked to drive to them! Good way to stop people scrounging lifts!

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Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

What you need is a big sheet of polythene dexter, big enough to go up the sides to th bottom odf the window I suggest then you can carfully fold it up ready for next time. Either that or get loads of Feuorange car fresheners

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

was thinking along similar lines.....................