another compost/manure question

[emma h]

I've just taken delivery of lots of things, rhubarb, raspberries etc, and it says to put well rotted manure into the hole before planting. However, having only had the allotment for 3 weeks, I don't have any.  What is my best option? Would multi-purpose compost bought from a shop be OK? Should I just plant them into my soil as it is? Or can I do something else?

Also, am I too late to manure my beds his year, or could I do it for things that won't be going in till May?

[emma h]

[amanda21]

I'm interested in this too as have just got some rhubarb (another post).  I can get hold of manure but it won't be well rotted yet.  Would it be worth getting a bag of chicken manure pellets instead?

[mega]

hi, if you don't have access to old manure just plant them, and surface feed or mulch during the growing season,

[sandersj89]

I've just taken delivery of lots of things, rhubarb, raspberries etc, and it says to put well rotted manure into the hole before planting. However, having only had the allotment for 3 weeks, I don't have any.  What is my best option? Would multi-purpose compost bought from a shop be OK? Should I just plant them into my soil as it is? Or can I do something else?

Also, am I too late to manure my beds his year, or could I do it for things that won't be going in till May?

Bought compost is only really OK for a short term fix, ideal for a soil conditioner but it soon runs out of steam.

If you can get any well aged manure from a farm or the like you can get 50l bags of the stuff from most garden centres, this is a bit more expensive but will last longer than compost.

Six X seem to be in most centers:

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

No connection to the company.

Jerry

[grawrc]

I wouldn't recommend planting rhubarb, rasps etc without planting their feet in a good manure base. They're going to be there for some time and you DO want a good crop. Rhubarb seems to need endless quantities of manure. We have a large water butt with manure and water added which we use at least forthightly when the rhubarb is in full swing but the crowns are alsoo planted with a manure base.

You can buy bags of manure as sanders suggests.

[umshamrock]

I didn't have any manure last year (my first year on my allotment) and my rhubarb crop was huge. I did nothing to it, didn't even water it. Matter of fact, I didn't have any manure (or compost) at all last year and got huge corn, tomato, pumpkin, and courgette crops....

[grawrc]

May have been manured the year before? Don't know, but the gross feeders really respond to manure.

[peterpiper]

my suggestion would be to plant them, them put a good mulch of horse manure over them.
my motto is get it in and get it cooked and eaten.
peterpiper