Any Old Horse Poo?

[zeezeezed]

Hello

Im new to all this allotment growing as I only got my plot in the middle of this year, so this is probably going to be an obvious answer

Its all cleared off now apart from som leeks, cabbage, celeriac and sprouts growing, so we have the fun job of playing on the horse poo pile today!

A friend of mine has a livery and a huge pile of manure to help myself to.

Anyway my question is ....

When we got some manure last time, some of it is jet black, like tar and sticky ... and weighs a ton! Other patches in the pile are grey and ashy where is had been smoldering.

Which is best to collect? Or a mixture of both? My soil is quite fine on the allotment, although stoney and this summer Ive had a mission trying to keep it watered as it dries out so quickly.

Zena x

[Jeanied]

The dark stuff is the best - that's the 'well rotted' part of the pile. The lighter stuff is still working - the heat is the indicator - and should be stacked to cook for a while longer before using.

[zeezeezed]

Thankyou for the advice Jeanie .... I kept an eye out for the black stuff. My OH thought he was going to get a hernia as I made him carry the bags. The stuff weighed a ton!!

x

[FIREMAN627]

before you put any of the muck on your plot , ask your friend where they got their hay/ straw and check to see if it had any aminopyralid sprayed on it,this is a broad leaf weed killer applied by farms etc to kill nettles/ docks, and is deadly if you spread on your plot (for your plants not you) and the affect will be in your ground for the very least one year.