Anyone with an allotment?

Fresh = straight from.the horses bum? I'd not stick that on direct in big amounts.

Well rotted = should be able to dig it in directly. I layer cardboard & pile manure on top then l just leave it for the worms to party, no dig style.

Finally took this greenhouse up to the plot and built it. Gorgeous weather.

1 Attachment

Our neighbour is a dairy farmer so it would be cow flavour. It would be whatever comes out of the big shit pit under the barn so I guess a mix of waste and straw. Maybe the best is to make piles where summer veg comes out and a decent distance from the winter veg staying in?
Maybe whatever mix he sprays over his fields is adequately rotted if there's rules against run-off.

Shit pit is vastly superior to what we get which is basically just fresh stable sweepings from the Lea Valley horse stables. At least shit pit will be partially broken down by the time they empty it.
Ours is more like fresh straw/sawdust with turds mixed in. We dig it in fresh, even though we really shouldn’t. Straight on top is probably a much better option, alas we don’t get it when we need it, generally doesn’t come til end of dec.

@Monster1985 you’ll be fine, new starters usually get a bit of grace in their first year, if in doubt put loads of cardboard down :)

My manure is fresh cow shit, from the hold. If it's fresh just out in less and dig it a spade or two under. If it's well rotted you can mix more in.

We used to get straw horse manure from the Coldstream guard’s stables and were told that if we find bog paper it’s because the stable staff would have crapped in the pile as well.
Good stuff but that source has sadly dried up now.

Farmyard/cow manure is markedly better than horse. Cows properly digest the grass/straw and feed so the finished product requires less rotting down. In my experience, if you throw it on in autumn, you’ll be ready for spring.

Had the best year ever for roses after we used cow manure.

Perfect, thanks all!

Thanks all. I’ve not got cardboard but I have loads of hessian bags so will put them down as ‘prepped for spring’ see if that avoids the email.

Clearing the topsoil from the bed that'll be greenhouse site.

How level does it need to be at stage, if sand/cement mix will be used for levelling anyway? I guess level mud is an easier start point?

3 Attachments

^ that cosmos has been v.slow!

Also. Unkempt Polytunnel Tomatoes are carrying plenty of fruit, fuckers refuse to ripen though. Any trick to force? Liberal spread of ripe bananas?

1 Attachment

My cosmos is also only just budding

One other is flowering, as are the ones at home.

Last year they got so big they were a nuisance to get past on my path.

1 Attachment

In some ways it seems counter intuitive, but remove nearly all the leaves

https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-ripen-late-tomatoes/

Any that have starting turning can be picked and put in a bag with a banana.

Will do, ta.

Will also do, ta.

Finally flowering. In other news my romanesco are still all leaves and no heads.

1 Attachment

beware of aminopyralid contamination in manure. ruined various crops last year after i got some compost dropped off! https://www.growveg.co.uk/guides/the-problem-with-manure/

3kg of raspberry jam from the ones that made it home

3 Attachments

That looks amazing!
Another litre of passata today, looks like the toms are slowing down though. Tons more chillis today at least.
Made a sauce from the scary hot ones.

1 Attachment

Sarpo Mira: two plants grown in a pot (top) vs three plants in the ground (in home-produced chicken manure). Interest difference in skin colour.

Some nice apples as well. The ones we’re picking this end of September are noticeably sweeter than the earlier picked apples.

2 Attachments

I dug up all my dahlia tubers as not a single one of about 15 did anything this year. Since putting them in the garage they’ve sprouted

Sods law. Mine have sprung to life the last few weeks. I'm leaving them in over winter, can't be arsed faffing anymore, they can fend for themselves.