Fertilizer

[erica&george]

Having spent the last 6 months creating a poo mountain in the corner of my field, I was wondering how long I need to leave it before I can safely use it as fertilizer on my paddocks? I know that the old red worm can hang about for quite some time, but is the manure safe to use after a year or do I need to leave it longer?
Erika

[lisandsaf]

Hi Erika
Like you , we have two enormous poo mountains,, and it costs a fortune to have them taken away,, one of our mountains has been standing since dec last year and appears really well rotted, in the summer we brought some home and put it on the flowers, it was so strong it killed them all
So im guessing it has to be left a little longer before it can be used especially for the fields in case it kills all the grass!!
Perhaps a year would be ok.
Regards
Lisa and Saf

[joygriffiths1]

Hi Erica

If you did want to shift it then I know that most farmers would snatch your arm off for this poo mountain- to spread on their ploughed fields!!! Just a thought!!!

Joy

[HelenK]

I'm sure someone else knows better than me but I understand it's down to the muck heap getting hot enough: that's what kills the weeds and rots it down, the hotter the faster. But whether it gets hot enough to kill the worms so you can use it on horse grazing, I don't know and I also don't know how you make sure it gets hot enough all though I have a dim recollection that this is why you should always look after it well, ensuring all new muck is added evenly to the top and manure for the garden is only taken from the bottom.

I certainly have fond memories of standing on top of various muck heaps in my youth, sorting them out, tidying them up, very satisfying work and absolutely marvellous for killing colds and clearing sinuses! Probably all that heat and ammonia

[erica&george]

I'm sure the farmer across the road would take it away, but as some stage I will need to feed my grass but I don't want to buy in fertilizer if I have got it ready made. My grass hasn't been fed in 3 years and has been intensively grazed by the horses. Before too long it was start getting too stressed to recover and I will end up with just weeds.
I think I will leave it another year and look to spreading next autumn then it will be at least a year old and will have the winter to settle before being grazed the following spring. Perhaps, I should turn the heap a bit now. It certainly is steaming away very nicely every morning, I wish I could use it to heat my house.
Thanks for your views,
Erika