Composty dilemma .

[bobbin]

Hi all.
I've had some well rotted poop delivered from my local college farm and I'm currently wheelbarrowing it to my Lottie (only yards away thank goodness.) I'm putting it on some of the beds and on open ground on my other Lottie. One of the chaps on the Lottie "who knows everything" said not to cover it for overwinter just to let the elements do their worst. I thought the idea was to cover it to speed up the process of being pulled down into the ground. I know it'll happen either way but any advice is welcome.
ALSO. Can I sow a green manure on top of poop? I'm desperate to bulk up the soil level.
I await your golden words folks!

[Jay-ell]

When you say cover it do you mean dig it in? If you dig it in you'll speed up the breakdown of organic material in the soil. What's wrong with leaving it as a mulch and sowing into it?

Over winter water soluble nutrients will be washed away as it rains. Green manure would help reduce this by absorbing some of both the nutrients and the water. The leaves & stems will also absorb the impact of rain drops slowing them so they don't compact the ground or turn it into a squelshing quagmire and the stems and roots would slow down the flow of water on the surface to stop the soil being eroded..

May be a bit late to sew green manures not but nothing ventured nothing gained.

[Baldy]

god knows...

um - I gather that you might find that by leaving it uncovered for 5 months or whatnot before sowing then the rain/snow/hail will have leached the nutrients out... Would still improve soil structure.

I tend to cover for religious reasons

I should add its twenty to eight on a Saturday so my advice / opinion should be taken with more of a pinch of salt than usual.

[happyhumph]

I'm just piling mine on 6 inches deep, but I don't have time or inclination to do anything else!!ight cover it with membrane if I get round to it

Have dug some in where I'm going to be planting garlic. Think it depends on your soil - my clay based (bit improved ) soil doesn't let anything wash away!

[Bigmallly]

I usually add manure to beds that I don't intend to use at the end of the season. I then cover the bed with Tarp or old compost bags so the nutrients don't leach through over winter.

[bobbin]

Ha ha Baldy,your advice sounds like I just caught it in time before it
dissolves into drivel.
When I said cover it I did mean with a sturdyish weed membrane so not much would leach out. I won't remove cover until February/March. My Lottie is clay and I've just loosened it prior to the poop layer.
Jay-ell I think I will add a green manure top to some beds to add bulk.ive just sown mustard green manure and it's through. There's still time for some green manures and I was so impressed with the one I grew last year. I meant to put cardboard under the poop first but forgot. (I'm from Gateshead man so that ideas champion pet!.....well someone had to be born there)
Any more advice welcome.

[Cadalot]

I'm with Big Mallly I cover the bed with weed membrane or Tarp so the nutrients don't leach through over winter. I also do the same with green manure grow cut drop and cover letting the worms feast and drag into the ground than I assist early spring by digging in what has not already been taken down.