FRESH MANURE

6 comments

There is a very important drawback to using fresh manure: the rapid increase in bacteria robs nitrogen from the soil and plant growth can suffer .This is why it is not a good practise to add the manure directly onto your plot, and very important to the busy grower its full of weed seeds.

THE [MATURED] HUMUS MAKER

This is an organic material which has been composted [partly or completely broken down by bacteria action] or is free from fermentable starch or sugar. Examples are well rotted manure and garden compost. The advantage of using a [mature compost] is its long life in the soil and its preservation of soil nitrogen .A ‘raw’ humus maker is transformed into a ‘mature’ humus maker by composting. There is still need to add fertilisers to the soil as humus makers alone do not have enough plant food to sustain heavy feeding crops.

Average plant food in manure is around ½% nitrogen ¼% phosphates ½%potash . The usual time to apply manure is with the autumn digging one barrow-load per 10 sq yds.