Horse manure in raised beds

[Chikinlickin]

Hi folks, I've been reading some posts with interests. I found some good advice on filling my raised bed (approx 2m x 0.7 x 0.5 high), a new venture this year.

I usually grow carrots in a couple of old dustbins (height prevents carrot fly & dogs weeing on my plants!) in bought compost. Don't have a compost bin, chickens eat everything! So this year I decided to create bigger beds as I plan to put in a few beetroot & parsnip too.

Anyhoo, as stated earlier I've found lots of advice & plan a lasagne bed. Now the thing is, hubbie works on a farm (ex racing yard) & can get me lots of straw & horse manure (well rotted)/shavings. Can I put this directly underneath everything or will it prove too strong (I tried it on the tomatoes in the greenhouse but it didn't really do well. Was this because it wasn't rotted enough or is it too strong to put direct underneath sown crops, should I wait a year 1st? Would it be the same for my hen huts cleaning out shavings etc?

Any hints would be appreciated Thanks

[Samurailord]

I have been using rotted cow manure straight into my lasagne beds.

It wasn't too well rotted when I started with it last July, but all of my crops did very well indeed.

I believe the main thing you have to worry about is if the grass the animals have been grazing on had been treated with any weedkiller, but I'm sure that someone more knowledgeable will be right along.

Andy

[MarkHackwell]

If you are going to grow Carrots, Beetroot or Parsnips in the raised beds don't use manure as your Carrots and Parsnips will fork and Beetroot generally doesn't like it they would prefer it just with soil and compost and not too many nutrients.

As for the manure I wouldn't sow directly into it but I would put some compost on top and then put the seed in, If its too fresh then you will end up with it doing your seeds/seedlings no good. I think with your tomatoes you would be better starting them off in pots before planting them into the compost and manure also as the person said before me, weedkiller has been in some of the foods so this may also have not helped. Check with your hubby what the horses diet is and as for the wood shavings from your hens that will be fine and the straw from the horses will be great as it will release nutrients into the compost when it rots down but beware that while rotting the level in the raised bed will lower slightly . Hope this helps .

[Snadger]

Quite partial to carbonnara mesel!

[alldigging]

Lasagna beds - With fresher materials, making in the autumn and leaving for a spring planting gives time to rot down.
You can compost everything. I think after 3 years the aminopryalid is broken down.
IF there's that weedkiller in the grass that went into the muck then using some in broad bean growing tests will damage the bean growth.

Really fresh chicken muck will burn almost everything. I think I have read comfrey is happy to have raw stuff on though.

A thread here.
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ure_39318.html

[Chikinlickin]

Wow thanks peoples!

That has really helped, I don't think thehoses has grass they were jumpers so were stabled & fed horsey stuff & haylage. Think the only spray they would've had is for nettles & docks. His boss is v particular re the grass for haylage he grows (it's also his main business, selling to the race horse fraternity, very fussy these horses!) so I guess most weeds are outcompeted.

Good idea re the compost bin, then at least I can throw the hen cleanings into it (I only have 6!. I've just been dumping it on a pile of old logs so that wildlife/insects etc have something to shelter under. My raised bed is pretty high it's about 0.8m tall & I was only going to fill it to about 0.5, but given your comments re straw etc I'll fill it right up. i don't think my carrots will grow that long, I usually can't wait til they get really big

On a slightly distracted note maybe if I create a compost bin with hen poo hubby will stop stealing my best tights to put sheep poo in & soak in a bucket of water for his greenhouse. I can never find a pair to wear, a bucket to wash the car, or the other highlight of my summer, watching the dogs find aforesaid soaking concoction & gleefully drink as much as they can before I can get to them, then usually throw it up on the carpet! Yuk! How long do you think a body will take to compost?

Thank you, great forum