Storing horse manure

[Reks]

Hi All
I am going to pickup some well rotted horse manure from a nearby stable. I plan to collect these in small bags (not sure what thesde are made of I got them when I bought horse manure from another stable). Is it ok to leave it on my allotment in the bags covered with tarpaulin?
I don't have a shed just a corner that I created with few pallets. Other alternative is to take this home and store it in my garage and tug it along every time I go to the allotment. I would prefer to keep in the allotment as long as its good qualities are preserved.
Many thanks for your tips.

[chrissie the chippy]

I've got lots in bags holding down my black plastic sheets. So I hope it's ok!

My gran does her compost like that and it works.... guessing it is the same? Will be interesting to find out!

[NOG]

I reuse the bags that MP compost come in. Why not make a bin up out of 3 or 4 pallets and pile it in there.

If its well rotted just dump it in a pile it will be ok.

[Reks]

thank you NOG and chrissie the chippy! Will store them in MP bags and limestone bags(that is what my previous horse manure arrived in). Cheers!

[chriscross1966]

Remember to do a bean test on each bag to check for aminopyralid.... I'm glad I get to collect my horse manure direct from a pasture cos I can tell at a glance that place hasn't seen a broadleaf weedkiller in about a decade... plus the rescue ponies seem very friendly and the lady that rescues them is quite charming :-)

chrisc

[rana]

Would it not be better to empty out the bags in a pile on to a spare bit of the plot? Let the worms and nature have a go at the stuff.

[terrier]

Worms tend to keep close to the surface so if you are going to use it that way, spread it as a thick mulch over a fallow part of the plot. I find that anything over 18" deep the worms don't bother with. If you are only talking about a few bags why not use it to build a compost heap, it makes a good activator.

[Reks]

Worms tend to keep close to the surface so if you are going to use it that way, spread it as a thick mulch over a fallow part of the plot. I find that anything over 18" deep the worms don't bother with. If you are only talking about a few bags why not use it to build a compost heap, it makes a good activator.

I was planning to use use the manure for the next 2-3 beds I was planning to dig this month. So can leave them in a corner? also I remember reading that manure should be covered up so the nutrients in it r not lost to rain. or can I leave it open?

[Reks]

Remember to do a bean test on each bag to check for aminopyralid.... I'm glad I get to collect my horse manure direct from a pasture cos I can tell at a glance that place hasn't seen a broadleaf weedkiller in about a decade... plus the rescue ponies seem very friendly and the lady that rescues them is quite charming :-)

chrisc

Hi - what is a bean test? I am going to collect these direct from the stables.

[terrier]

There's very little nutrient value in horse poo, it's just useful as a soil improver, just remember not to use fresh stuff around the plants as the ammonia it gives off can do damage to them. I think the 'bean test' is you plant a bean in it, if the bean grows, it's ok to use on your plants, if the bean (after germination ) dies, it's likely that the manure is tainted and so not adviseable to use it.

[chriscross1966]

Hi - what is a bean test? I am going to collect these direct from the stables.

I suggest you google "aminopyralid contamination" though some good links would be
Aminopyralid Herbicide Residue in Manure Killing Crops | Allotment Growing Diary Plus

Compost Contamination - Case Study - Up at the Big House

Aminopyralid contamination leaves gardens barren for a year - The Gardeners Calendar

I won't be using stable manure or indeed anything from a hay fed horse for a good couple of years......

chrisc

[Snadger]

If Aminopyralid is supposedly a banned chemical now, theoretically there shouldn't be any more dodgy manure...........unless farmers are using up old stock against DEFRA regulations!

[bluemoon]

We just store it in a heap with a tarp over the top to prevent weed seeds settling and germinating

[Glutton4...]

I bag mine in the winter when I'm mucking out, and from the field in the summer. I store it in plastic chaff and compost bags, and let it sweat until needed, but certainly a minimum of 6 months. If you need to use it sooner, top the bag/bucket up with water, cover it and leave it a couple of weeks to 'stew' preferably in the sun, then you can use it. I also add it to my compost bin, which has a tendency to have too much dry matter in, so this just balances it out.

[Reks]

The owner of the stable confirmed that the horse poo heap she had was well rotted. she asked us to pick up the po from the far corner. The poo did not smell, not sure if that indicates it was well rotted. Are there any other ways of easily looking at the poo and knowing if its well rotted or not?

Also I'll try the bean test on it.