...putting manure on the allotment
In the days when most families kept a milk cow or chickens, animal manure was commonly used as a garden fertilizer. But with changes
in food production methods and the advent of artificial fertilizers, many gardeners stopped using it.
Fortunately, many organic growers have re-discovered the benefits of manure as a fertilizer, soil conditioner and compost ingredient.
The reason that manure is referred to as ‘black gold’ is
that it is such a prime source of N-P-K which is the value given to fertilizers,
whether they be man-made or organic. This doesn't stand for Nitrogen per
Kilogram or Nice Plot Kisses, but refers to the content of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus
(P) and Potassium (K), which are so beneficial to the health of plants. The
N-P-K number is useful but, for example, chemical fertilizers will usually have
a higher N-P-K rating, but don’t have the organic matter which natural manures
contain.
Manure also contains a lot of humus, which is not a chickpea
dip originating in the Middle East, but rather a bulky, fibrous material that
comes from plant fibres and animal remains. Humus effectively supplies food for
plants, preserves moisture in the soil in dry spells, gives good drainage in
wet times and stores nitrogen in the soil.
So animal manure is a great way to improve the condition and nutrional value of the soil and as many organic gardeners say ‘Feed the soil, not the plant’
You can buy composted manure from garden centres and it can
be used straight on your garden.
However, this is rather an expensive option, especially if you have an allotment or
large vegetable patch.
My preference is to source fresh manure.But don't just go to your local farm or stables, get sack fulls of manure and put
it straight onto your plot, or it could end up causing you a whole host of
problems.
Things to consider include:
- Type of manure
- Time of year
- What crops you want to grow
The N-P-K numbers given below are given are just a guide as they are affected
by type of bedding used, age and diet of the animal
Horse Manure: 0.7-0.3-0.6
This is a ‘hot manure’, which means that if you put
it straight on your veg it will burn it.
It is not as rich as chicken manure, but obviously you get a
lot more of it and it should be reasonably easy to get hold of from your local
stables.
The best type of horse manure is from stables using straw bedding, but you can also use it if the animals have been on wood shavings.
Horse manure can contain a lot of weed seeds, which you can kill off by hot composting before putting it on your beds. You should also think about
the stables you get it from; there are tales of allotments getting horse manure
when the horses have been on a lot of medication, which has killed or damaged
crops.
Cow (dairy) Manure: 0.6-0.2-0.5
It may be lower in nutrients, but is considered by many to
be the best soil-builder option. It is an excellent source of humus. Some
gardeners have said that it is a little wet for heavily clay based soils.
You will obviously need to contact your local farmer to see
if they will spare you any of their cow manure.
Chicken Manure:
1.1-8.0-5.0
As you can see this is very rich in nutrients and is another
‘hot manure’. The quantities you get are likely to be a lot smaller, which
makes it very useful as a compost activator.
The best source of chicken poo is your own flock, or a local free-range
farm.
If you know any pigeon fanciers in your area, then you may
want to speak to them about getting hold of some pigeon poo, which has been
prized by gardeners since the middle ages, as it is also very rich in
nutrients.
Sheep & Goat
Manure: 0.7-0.3-0.9
This is another type of ‘hot manure' which will need to rot
down before you can use it. It has a
higher nutrional value than horse or cow manure and is a little pleasanter to
handle. The small pellets mean that it breaks down a lot quicker. As it is very
dry, you may want to use the pellets in a liquid fertilizer.
You are likely to have to collect it yourself with the
permission of the landowner. However, if they have sheep or goats inside for
the winter or birthing, then you may be to get hold of bags of manure which
will also contain urine soaked straw, which will give even higher nitrogen
levels.
Pig Manure: 0.5-0.3-0.5
Is very stinky stuff, so your neighbours may not appreciate
you using it!
It doesn't contain much organic matter, so either needs to
be full of straw from the bedding, or just added in small quantities to your
compost heap to rot down.
Rabbit Manure:
2.4-1.4-0.6
As you can see rabbit manure is high in nutrients,
especially nitrogen, but again only available in small amounts, so best used as
a compost activator.
Alpaca Manure:
1.5-0.2-1.1
The Auntie Allie manure of choice!
I am lucky enough to have a source of alpaca manure. It is
not a ‘hot manure', so can be spread straight onto your plot without risk of
‘burning’ your crop and the alpacas 3 stomach digestive system means that it
doesn't contain weed seeds. It is virtually odourless and alpacas tend to use
one or two toilet spots, which makes it easy to collect.
It is lower in organic material than some other farm
manures, but it is enough to still act as a soil improver and can even be made
into a ‘tea’ which will really help your seedlings.
Manure not to use
Do not use the faeces of your dog, cat, or other meat-eating
mammals as manure for your garden or in your compost heap, as it can contain
harmful diseases.
As you can see from the above, most manure should be well-rotted
before use. However, many gardeners still add 'hot manures' to empty beds in the autumn,
as the elements will break it down over the winter months. Even then, I tend to
use horse manure that has rotted down for a little while.
The question of which allotment crops need compost manure is
very easy to answer –all of them!
This is the manure that you have added to
your main compost heap in balance with green and brown material. A compost
needs to have been held at 130 degrees for at least 3 days to kill any
pathogens and making it safe to use all year round. Or about 6 months to fully
rot down.
In the Autumn I add rotted hot manure or alpaca droppings to
the beds which are going to have the following crops the next year (there will
be more, but these are the ones that I grow):
- Potatoes
- Beans
- Cabbages, brussels sprouts
- Squash and courgettes
I also make sure that my rhubarb, raspberries, gooseberry,
and currant bushes have all had a feed of manure at the same time.
So that is the Auntie Allie Manual of Muck, which is based
on a bit of research, combined with what I have found works over the last few
years of being an allotment holder.
