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Aug 2021
6:46pm, 11 Aug 2021
8,167 posts
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sallykate
I haven't mown my (tiny) front lawn for months now. It'll look tidier when I do (and I will) but TBH the whole garden's a bit of a mess anyway: very very poor soil plus lots of snail cover in the form of fallen plane leaves.
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Aug 2021
6:51pm, 11 Aug 2021
8,168 posts
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sallykate
A while ago I found that a nearby (relatively) stables was offering rotted manure which they would deliver. I contacted them and was told to get back in touch in August - so I have done. They've not dug into their pile yet to determine how rotted it is but my allotment WhatsApp group seems pretty interested nonetheless.
It's not free; there is free stuff to be had from another stables but it needs to be left for a good while to rot down, and you need transport. One of the group has said he'd be happy to get some.
I've really done nothing with my allotment this year beyond demonstrate the limitations of the no dig approach. Might be moving so not sure I'll keep it much longer anyway, but at the very least I should be able to cover it with cardboard and manure (again) to leave it in a slightly better state if I give it up. It's mine over the winter whatever happens.
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Aug 2021
7:09pm, 11 Aug 2021
23,063 posts
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Angus Clydesdale
I've always thought it was a bit cheeky selling horse manure, rotted or not. Different if they bag it and deliver it, I suppose, but if it's DIY you're doing them the favour.
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Aug 2021
7:17pm, 11 Aug 2021
77,603 posts
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Hanneke
Be careful with horse maneure! It is highly likely to contain wormers and aminopyralids.
Advice from the soil association is to leave it somewhere for these to leach out where it doesn't matter for 12 months unless you are absutely certain the maneure has been un added to for 12 months.
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Aug 2021
7:21pm, 11 Aug 2021
77,604 posts
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Hanneke
I see if I can find the article about leaving your grass to grow Columba...
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Aug 2021
7:26pm, 11 Aug 2021
8,169 posts
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sallykate
The (free, bagged, unrotted) stuff I’ve collected from Dulwich has been fine, no effect on rhubarb or artichokes at my allotment but I don’t know whether they are affected by aminopyralids anyway. Artichokes perhaps would be?
But good point, may check with the Eltham stable whether they use aminopyralids.
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Aug 2021
7:27pm, 11 Aug 2021
8,170 posts
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sallykate
Yes AC, I think it’s fine to charge a bit for the bagging & delivering but not for turning up and collecting what is basically waste.
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Aug 2021
7:31pm, 11 Aug 2021
77,606 posts
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Hanneke
Most horse owners use wormers. They take 6 months to no longer affect earth worms etc.
Aminopyralids are used to kill ragwort and take about 12 months to "disappear"
They stop your seedlings from growing. They may not be so bad on established perennial veg.
Still, always best to not have any harmful chemicals anywhere near things you will eat!
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Aug 2021
7:34pm, 11 Aug 2021
77,607 posts
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Hanneke
To explain: ragwort causes ultimately lethal liver damage to browsing animals. They won't touch the stuff alive, it tastes vile, but they will eat it if in their hay. This is why hay crops ate sprayed with aminopyralids, to kill the ragworth in the hay meadows.
It has been a real issue even in organic commercial compost you buy in bags!
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Aug 2021
8:00pm, 11 Aug 2021
23,100 posts
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Dvorak
I think that D2 would somewhat disagree with you regarding growing ragwort and its palatability to cattle.
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Sunlight, Warmth, Happiness… and triffids
Jul 2020