[gaztop]

Hi all,
Had my plot for a month now.
Taking the advice from this forum I glysophated it. The weeds all died. I strimmed them off and burnt them before rotovating the whole plot. It is 10metres by 10metres.
I have started working on a plan for next year.

I have been offered (by the allotment association) 5 tonnes of well rotted horse manure for £35.
My plan is to barrow it onto the plot before rotovating it in?
Is there anything wrong with this plan? Is 5 tonnes too much for a plot that size?

Cheers

[Goosegirl]

If it's well-rotted, I don't think you can have too much! Personally, I would rotovate half in, then put the other half on top for it to decompose over winter tove you a nice seeding tilth in spring.

[gaztop]

If it's well-rotted, I don't think you can have too much! Personally, I would rotovate half in, then put the other half on top for it to decompose over winter tove you a nice seeding tilth in spring.

Being a noobie to all this I thought i'd read somewhere that if I leave some of the manure on the top it would attract slugs?

[Nikkithefoot]

Won't attract slugs any differently if its all rotovated in. By leaving it on top it encourages worm activity to pull it down. The worms aerate the soil  which helps, as well as mixing it all in.

[Sparkyrog]

if you rotovated it may pay to wait 3 weeks and glyphosphate again 

[fatbelly]

if you rotovated it may pay to wait 3 weeks and glyphosphate again 

Very good advise. Wait 3 weeks then Glyphosphate again. Then  put your manure on top

[Nikkithefoot]

There is no point in glyphosating if there is no weed growth as it is absorbed through the leaves.
Also if you do glyphosate any new weed growth you will need to wait until those weeds have died back before applying the manure, otherwise they won't die off.

[Sparkyrog]

in 3 weeks anything left should of regrown in this weather with the rain we have had 

[mumofstig]

You knew what you meant but but you didn't say glyphosate any regrowth did you ?   

[maxie]

Get it fired on  a 10x10 plots not that big but with 5 ton of horse manure on you should have some bumper crops out of it next year.

[gaztop]

Thanks all,

Think I'll wait until the first week of Sept, Order 5 tonnes, rotovator 2/3rds in and leave the rest on top.

[fatcat1955]

I would leave it on top of the soil and let the worm's do the rotovating for you over the winter.

[goodtogrow]

'Get it fired on' maxie!  No messing!  I agree with everyone who says grab it with both hands, but I'd be inclined to stack it and cover it until Spring.

If I understand correctly, and often I don't, it's a 'dirty'  plot which the op's got under control.  It's bound to have a weed seed bank problem, isn't it?  Those weeds will keep coming, particularly with autumn rain?  And not all of the perennials will've been killed after one application?

So keep bashing the weeds this year.  If you apply manure this year, without crops to take it up, won't you lose the benefit?  Won't it wash out over winter?

[Goosegirl]

Although manure has a nutrient benefit, it also does a great deal to help soil structure. Whatever nutrients may be washed out over winter can be replaced by BFB or whatever in spring, but the benefits of improving soil structure far outweigh this.

[MickyB]

5 ton must be quite a heap 

I bagged some up for free and was surprised at how light it is, I can't imagine how big a 5 ton heap is going to be.