Topic: manure alternative

[reddyreddy]

if manure is contaminated with aminoalyrapid what is the best alternative for feeding my soil? BFB? Chicken manure pellets?  ???

[Tee Gee]

if manure is contaminated with aminoalyrapid what is the best alternative for feeding my soil? BFB? Chicken manure pellets?

I never look upon 'manure/home made compost' as a plant feed!

Although I am aware there is some 'feeding' in these products the question is; how much?

So to that end, I think in terms of; there is no  feed in it.

To ensure I have the right amount of the fertiliser best suited to what I am growing, I add a proprietory feed and any feeding that is in the compost is a bonus!

Or put another way;....... I only use manure/compost as a soil improver!

But it is a subject that is very much up to the 'users preferances' in my opinion!

[ceres]

As Tee Gee says manure isn't a feed, it's a soil conditioner.  Alternatives include home-made compost, green manure, seaweed, straw (cereal), spent mushroom compost (although I believe it can also be contaminated), spent hops.

[Psi (Pronounced 'Si'!)]

i use manure compost to improve structure. i make manure 'tea' as fertilizer. I am planning to get some comfrey in spring and make tea from that too - the rotation is the other mode of feeding.

[caroline7758]

I've usedquite a lot of pelleted chicken manure in the past, but obviously it's no good as a mulch, for example, and I would wait until spring (and until you can find a 2 for 1 offer!).

[Dadnlad]

Find your local brewery, they will have bags and bags of spent hops 8)
Fantastic to add humus(sp?) to the soil before planting, and as a mulch after

Feed with BFB/chicken pellets/comfrey tea as appropriate

Get in with a local farmer - they can get trailer loads of recycled brown bin compost for free :o

[kt.]

6X.  Not used it myself but can't ask for better according to my dad:

http://www.6-x.co.uk/

Less storage space and less physically demanding too.  Especially as he has back problems and in his 60s.  We sell 2 others at our allotment shop.  One is chicken manure concentrate and the other is horse manure concentrate.  Both are about 20kg bags that retail in our shop for £4 per bag. 

[Mr Smith]

You could try one of the green manures like 'Mustard' which I have also planted and already rotovated in, :)