Posted by Sacha on January 8, 2007, 7:31 am
On 8/1/07 02:21, in article
45a1b38d$0$22060$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au, "Farm1"
>
>> I used to have a book called The Untidy Gardener and the author
> describes
>> asking someone to clean out the stables, saying she would be able to
> use the
>> manure on her flower beds. Next thing she knew, he'd chucked it
> straight
>> onto the beds from the stables and she was convinced all her plants
> would be
>> damaged. She describes seeing them 'waving helplessly' from above
> great
>> mounds of steaming manure. However, they survived, the winter and
> the worms
>> did their work and all was well, though it's not a recommended
> practice,
>> admittedly. And NB, these were flower beds, not veg beds.
>
> I hope that the point of the story was that the author had learned how
> to be a good gardener from that experience and that this lesson was
> why she turned into an untidy gardener.
I think she was an untidy gardener to start with! And IIRC, her name is
Elizabeth Craigie but I'm stretching my memory back a long way.
>
> I get an attack of the irritations every time I see advice about the
> 'need' to rot horse manure..I always wonder about whether the person
> giving the advice has ever experiemented or is just parroting book
> learning.
>
> It doesn't need rotting at all, ever. It may need some judicious
> thought about placement but it can go on some spot or other in the
> garden straight from the end of the horse's alimentary canal. I know
> because I've used it that fresh and never found any detrimental
> effect. It may not look pretty and the well rotted stuff does look
> prettier but with mulch on top, who cares or will even notice?
>
It's more important to rot down cow and chicken manure, AIUI but I think the
point of leaving horse manure in a heap is to allow weed seeds to be washed
out by the rain or to be taken out by the proud owner of the manure heap. I
think the horse's alimentary canal does a good job of preparing the manure
for use by the gardener.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/
Posted by Robert on January 8, 2007, 7:53 am
: On 8/1/07 02:21, in article
: owner of the manure heap. I think the horse's alimentary canal does
: a good job of preparing the manure for use by the gardener.
So is that alimentary my dear Sacha!?
Posted by Sacha on January 8, 2007, 8:15 am
On 8/1/07 12:53, in article V72dnSvCT4Ysoz_YnZ2dnUVZ8tmhnZ2d@bt.com,
> : On 8/1/07 02:21, in article
> : owner of the manure heap. I think the horse's alimentary canal does
> : a good job of preparing the manure for use by the gardener.
>
> So is that alimentary my dear Sacha!?
>
>
Naturally, Watson.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/
Posted by Kate Morgan on January 8, 2007, 8:19 am
> It's more important to rot down cow and chicken manure, AIUI but I think the
> point of leaving horse manure in a heap is to allow weed seeds to be washed
> out by the rain or to be taken out by the proud owner of the manure heap. I
> think the horse's alimentary canal does a good job of preparing the manure
> for use by the gardener.
I am not proud of my muck heap I wish some one would take it away. In
the old days we were allowed to burn them but not any more, pity that,
it smells rather nice :-)
kate
Posted by Farm1 on January 8, 2007, 5:26 pm
> > It's more important to rot down cow and chicken manure, AIUI but I
think the
> > point of leaving horse manure in a heap is to allow weed seeds to
be washed
> > out by the rain or to be taken out by the proud owner of the
manure heap. I
> > think the horse's alimentary canal does a good job of preparing
the manure
> > for use by the gardener.
> I am not proud of my muck heap I wish some one would take it away.
In
> the old days we were allowed to burn them but not any more, pity
that,
> it smells rather nice :-)
Can you put a notice up anywhere so that you can get a keen gardener/s
to take it? I do a swap with aneighbour, I keep her in eggs and she
keeps me in horse poo and we both think we are getting the best part
of the bargain.
XML site map
>> I used to have a book called The Untidy Gardener and the author
> describes
>> asking someone to clean out the stables, saying she would be able to
> use the
>> manure on her flower beds. Next thing she knew, he'd chucked it
> straight
>> onto the beds from the stables and she was convinced all her plants
> would be
>> damaged. She describes seeing them 'waving helplessly' from above
> great
>> mounds of steaming manure. However, they survived, the winter and
> the worms
>> did their work and all was well, though it's not a recommended
> practice,
>> admittedly. And NB, these were flower beds, not veg beds.
>
> I hope that the point of the story was that the author had learned how
> to be a good gardener from that experience and that this lesson was
> why she turned into an untidy gardener.