[tunnelsofhens10]

I have a choice of Horse,Cow, and Sheep manure, Is one better than the other for different plants? Is there any danger in bunging it all together on the compost heap? Thanks.

[walltoall]

Bunging it all together is fine. Just remember the final objective is loam and loam can be produced from ALL and ANY organic matter. For 'organic matter' read: " anything that grew in the ground either recently or at some time in the past. So MY compost for instance contains garden weeds, rhubarb leaves, grass cuttings, shredded paper and magazines, junk mail, heavy clay from the garden, horse manure I buy in by the bag, vegetable scraps and peelings from the kitchen, egg cartons, old bits of timber, prunings from trees and shrubs. You name it I've used it.

But to the detail in your question: there are differences between raw faeces from the hind end of an animal and actual manure. Manure is a mixture of animal faeces and animal bedding. Both these items consist of 'organic matter', but each takes a different route. One item has passed through the digestive system of a farm animal, the other has not. The mixture of the two assisted by microbe and worm activity and also oxidation maketh the manure.

Since the digestive systems of animals varies, so does the product. Horsesh.. is relatively dry and contains a lot of nutrients, because a horse has a single pass digestive system. I seem to remember it is near neutral in pH.

Cowsh. is acidic, lower in fibres and has a very high water content at source. Ruminants have a complex digestive system. It does not just go in one end and out the other. Most such animals are cloven hooved.

Chickensh.. has very high inorganics like phosphates. But when you use them to make compost or if you are a farmer and manage them into manure, they all serve the same purpose and in the same way.

http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum/about2555.html (Check Ml. Brenock 20May09 1021am and Liparis 1220pm esp.)

The purpose of manure is to supply or restore nutrients, fibre, trace elements and inorganics necessary for the production of living healthy plants. If we grow a plot of cabbage and eat/sell/use that cabbage, the soil will be depleted to some extent and manuring simply restores the balance.

Whewwwwwwwwwwww ! make me a cuppa someone.

[Sive]

well done walltowall, compulsory reading for everyone. Wouldn't it be a good idea to have an archive on the site of the most valuable essays about the basic principles of gardening........???
What does anyone think ?
It would educate us all.....

[Her Outdoors]

Very useful information there Walltoall. Sive I think its a great idea re archiving as there are some really useful essays on the form. Well done both.

[walltoall]

If only I had time to go back through all I wrote. Anything I choose to put out on Irish Gardeners is for everyone. So if anyone has the energy to collate stuff on this site they should be able to,unless they have specifically invoked copyright.

There's actually a VAST store of knowledge on this site and much duplication of subject matter. If anyone knows how to do it and researches every single thread on just manure I bet they will find multitudinous turds of horsesh scattered all over the farm. Anyone up for it?

[Her Outdoors]

I would love to but I am not technical enough. My computing skills don't stretch past reading posts & writing the odd one. I started too late in life. But I couldn't go without my daily lurk on the forum. I am sure there are some members well up for the job.

[tunnelsofhens10]

Thanks Walltoall, Excellent answer, Never read a more informative essay on Sh- -. I shall consider my question well and truely answered, Thank you.

[walltoall]

Tunnelofhens. I am so pleased you've got something out of all the bullsh...

I grew up in the 40/50s in a house with no running water, which meant no toilet as we now know it. We had a dry toilet indoors under the stairs and the males of the family were encouraged to urinate out in the garden so as not to overload the Elsan system. We lived over a blessed Dispensary. My Ma was the district nurse.

Every few weeks the dry toilet had to be 'serviced'. In those days nothing was wasted so a compost heap was permanantly on the go exactly according to my previous post. We had upwards of 20 laying hens at the far end of the garden and their coop had to be kept scrupulously clean. My Ma was not only SRN SCM RGN etc but a farmer's daughter. The cleanings of the chicken house enhanced our compost heap and the very healthy hens laid for Ireland.

The clippings of 100yds of exceptionally well kept privet hedge, the mowings of 1/4 rood of lawn, the veg. waste of 1/4 rood of arable went onto this heap. And every few weeks the contents of the Elsan Dry Toilet was added. the heap was turned twice a year, once in Spring when Ma deemed the last frost had gone and again in Autumn at or about her birthday, Sep 28.

Would any mature matron nowadays be happy for three strapping sons to give her a turned manure heap for her birthday? That heap was the making of our garden and we had the best rhubarb in the parish, the softest lettuce, the tangiest scallions. We ate well from our garden, best of organic. 5 a day AND apples, gooseberries, raspberries, currants all in their own time and all totally organic.

So tunnelof hens go to it. waste not the bounty of the earth and make those hens do double or even treble duty. Finally, to show how focussed Nurse Wall was: Any hen that stopped laying in our property had it's neck rung forthwith and was on the next Sunday's dinner plates.

[tunnelsofhens10]

Ye know something Walltoall, I think theres a bloody good book in that fertile mind of yours, just one other thing, If the neighbour reports me for sqatting on compost heap, Can I quote you?

[walltoall]

Hi Sive, (And all other interested parties!)

I listened (very carefully) to your comment at http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=25675#25675 Sive Sat Jun 11, 2011 1:43 pm "Wouldn't it be a good idea to have an archive on the site of the most valuable essays about the basic principles of gardening........??? " It would be a marvellous project for some budding young horticulturist or tech. writer. Much as I love this forum it's very higgldy piggldy.

Few people post a Subject: in the top line so it is difficult to classify responses. New subjects are opened all over the place on identical topics over time. The Google Search Facility at the top of the page will almost always return a range of answers to almost any topic. But each lead then has to be followed from the top to get to the reference. I tested this by researching manure compost horse cowshite etc. and could not believe how much info is on the site and much of quite original. Even my own.

After researching my own bullshh.. post I added a line and a reference to an entirely different topic, which greatly enhances the content. I do think there's a case to be made for Sessile Oaks to be expected to go that extra mile when providing information. It would also be helpful if new people were pointed towards the on-site Google or be barred from initiating posts until they had introduced themselves and read FAQ via a handshake link. You see! I'm a control freak and dictator behing the smiley facade. OhDear!

[tunnelsofhens10]

I agree with Walltoall, I did"nt know that google at top of page stayed in the forum, Will use it a lot more for answers. Please be patient with some of us new ones,(If the grandchilderen are"nt about, I"M all those emoticons working this computer) First tried one at 62. Promise to research more answers before posting.

[walltoall]

Tunnel
On this forum we are kind to the oldest, youngest, tallest, thickest, thinnest, smallest, biggest, richest, poorest, this is a forum for all seasons and a learning factory for all who want to learn. You do your own thing your own way good buddy and we will be pleased at your results. I'm glad you found the Google facility on here. But it does take patience doesn't it? Throw the questions this way anytime and we'll get something for you.
W2A.

http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=25749&highlight=#25749

Education: What you remember when you've forgotten all you were taught. lol