jc
New Gardener
Posts: 8
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Post by jc on Sept 23, 2012 16:05:57 GMT
Hi everyone! Not been on here for a while so hopefully posting this in the right place! i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/shocked.gif Thinking of buying some manure from a supplier in the local newspaper but unsure whether horse, cow or mushroom is best? It's for mainly vegetable patches which will grow roots, brassicas and others in three beds rotated. What do you use or prefer? Thanks! ;D |
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Post by Jasmine on Sept 23, 2012 17:27:02 GMT
Hi JC!
I use quite a bit of mushroom compost - this is from the RHS site....
Frequent or heavy use of spent mushroom compost usually leads to a build-up of chalk particles in the garden soil, and to increased soil alkalinity. This can occur to the extent that plant growth suffers, the chalk making other nutrients in the soil less available. In severe cases, yellowing of the foliage (known as lime-induced chlorosis) and general stunting occurs, with consequent reduction in flowering and fruiting.
Mushroom compost is therefore most useful on acid soils that are low in organic matter, where the liming effect of the chalk is an added benefit to soil fertility. Mushroom compost is not recommended for neutral, alkaline or chalky soils, which would be made excessively alkaline by the addition of further chalk.
Mushroom compost is excellent on the vegetable garden, as vegetable crops usually grow best when th soil is not acid and where the soil is alkaline brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts and kale) are less likely to be infected by clubroot disease.
Mushroom compost use should be avoided where ericaceous plants such as rhododendrons, camellias, azaleas and heathers are being grown, as these plants need acidic growing conditions and are chalk-hating.
I have access to as much horse manure as I can remove from the local stables so I tend to alternate well rotted horse manure with mushroom compost.
It's a good idea to collect the manure yourself too so you can see what weed seeds it may have in it. My local mushroom compost supplier's farm is surrounded by Himalayan Balsam so I keep a real eye on the beds when I use it!
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Post by bobbiek on Sept 23, 2012 18:12:39 GMT
I've been warned to watch for seeds in cow manure ...
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Post by Tig on Sept 23, 2012 18:21:22 GMT
I've used well rotted horse manure on the veg plots JC. There was some weed growth but nothing that I couldn't keep on top of, but I don't have huge areas to manage. It improved the soil too, as mine is quite fine. I also use the pelleted chicken manure.
x Tig
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Post by pdblake on Oct 4, 2012 15:36:26 GMT
I usually use composted chicken manure, though it does help if you have a few chooks running around ;D That and green manure of course  |
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Post by Barbara on Oct 5, 2012 6:45:32 GMT
Leaf mould is good for the soil, I use it, and green manure,( mustard ) and chicken pellets, get 'em for birthday and Christmas presents, ;D Daughter uses cow manure, but she lives near farms I don't.
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jc
New Gardener
Posts: 8
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Post by jc on Oct 22, 2012 10:15:09 GMT
Hi thank you so much for all the replies! ;D Sorry I have not been back on here sooner. We went for the horse manure in the end. I thought the mushroom compost sounded good as we have acid soil, but bit worried about it being near ericaceous plants as we want a little of it for flower/shrub beds. I have an oak tree so could collect leaves for leaf mould. Also bought green manure seeds but forgot to sow them!  Chickens are also on my list of things I want! |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2014 16:28:07 GMT
i hear that chicken manure works great..especially when used right..someone on a diff site use's a watering can..what he does,is he puts some chicken manure in the bottom of it.then adds water to it.and then mixes it better..and pours it onto the ground around the plants..but not onto the plants..
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Post by andy on Mar 18, 2014 18:13:37 GMT
i hear that chicken manure works great..especially when used right..someone on a diff site use's a watering can..what he does,is he puts some chicken manure in the bottom of it.then adds water to it.and then mixes it better..and pours it onto the ground around the plants..but not onto the plants.. of course, you can just bypass the chickens and get a tub of pelleted chicken manure or 6x as it's often called. Ive just chucked 2 x 25kg sacks of the stuff round my garden at work. it's superb. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2014 16:48:33 GMT
there's 2 hay fields behind where i live..they fertilize them at the beginning of each growing season.and that allows me to get what i need for free..i used some on my yard last year.
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Post by Barbara on Mar 24, 2014 9:10:20 GMT
Lucky you Jimle.
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