Manure and lime

[JimmerG]

So I understand you're not supposed to add manure and lime at the same time.

Would it work if lime was applied a few weeks, maybe a month before the manure?

And what's the deal with lime and green manure, can lime be added once the green manure has been turned in - or would it upset the rotting process?

And here ANOTHER question - a month ago I mulched a lot of my fruit plants with horse poo - and since that we've had very little rain, so the poo has just dried up on the surface. Has this rendered it rather useless. I know digging it in would be better but raspberries for example had dangerously shallow roots.

J

[Hilary B]

Depends on the type of lime, but on the whole you don't want both on the same plot the same year (spuds love manure and hate lime, brassicas love lime, and the 'leftover' benefits of manure PLUS the lime will get your cabbages going great) I can't see that there is any conflict between lime and GREEN manure (which is mainly just humus) although I would tend to apply the lime when sowing the green manure (most suitable plants like it_

We used to mulch our currant and gooseberry bushes with a-bit-fresher-than-ideal pig muck. It acted as a great weed suppressant (the main weeds being stinging nettles, this was very desirable). Sooner or late the horse poo will get into the soil (might be next yeah) and it will have the same nutritional value (apart from any that gets washed in early when there is rain) then. Meanwhile it will discourage any weeds that are lurking unnoticed under the ground there.