[Matt Whalley]

I've got access to a substantial amount of well rotted horse poo, but how long is it before it is well rotted rather than just poo !!!

First time I will have tried it (new girl at work has a horse of her own !!) and I don;t wnat to end up with a rather whiffy problem

[mumofstig]

When it no longer smells of poo it is well rotted

[whippersnapper]

Me too.

But I've spent the last 6 weeks growing tomato seeds in a sample before I spread it all over the show. Will post some pics of the plants to see what the experts think of the growth! Seems fine to me.

[coo!]

WHATS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN USIN NEW POO AND WELL ROTTED sorry for shouting!

[peapod]

New poo is too strong  and can 'burn' the roots.

[coo!]

ah ha cheers! i'll make a veg grower yet!! 

[mrs.ploppy]

Its not new poo thats isn't good, it's the bedding with the poo that's bad.  We pick the droppings off the field daily with no bedding and use it straight away if needed.  If it has straw or shavings in it, it has to be rotted down or the spores and bacteria that break down the bedding are still active potentially dispersing mold spores directly to the roots of plant.  Find your self someone that clears their feilds this way and you can use it fresh as you might say.  Others will disagree but I've never had problem in our garden.

[Bombers]

Its not new poo thats isn't good, it's the bedding with the poo that's bad.  We pick the droppings off the field daily with no bedding and use it straight away if needed.  If it has straw or shavings in it, it has to be rotted down or the spores and bacteria that break down the bedding are still active potentially dispersing mold spores directly to the roots of plant.  Find your self someone that clears their feilds this way and you can use it fresh as you might say.  Others will disagree but I've never had problem in our garden.

That reminded me of my grandad. He used to shovell up the rag'n bone mans os's poo, n shuvel it still warm 'n steamin, onto the roses! happy days.

[Stripey_cat]

The biggest problem is that the pee soaks into the bedding, and then gives off lots of ammonia in the soil.  If you've ever breathed fumes from household ammonia when you were cleaning, you'll understand why that's not good for plant-roots!

[mrs.ploppy]

That is why I just use the poo straight off the field as there is no wee in it.  All poo and goodness!  Yummy on rubarb as well as custard Ha Ha.

[Novice but totally hooked]

We had a muck heap (wood shavings and poo) in our field that hadn't been added to for about 10 years and last year we turned it into our allotment.  Absolutely FANTASTIC.  No stones to deal with, light and crumbly and great crops.

One other thing about using muck before it's well rotted is that if there is any undigested feed in the poo the seeds (weeds, wheat, barley etc) can germinate and you end up with a nice patch of barley in amongst your flower beds!

[andreadon]

when there are horse events at our farm, i always go out with my shovel and wheelbarrow to get the poo afterwards.
it's normally summer so it goes into the compost - but when it's winter it goes onto the soil straightaway because there's time for it to get rotted down and worked on by worms before i plant anything.

[Stripey_cat]

That is why I just use the poo straight off the field as there is no wee in it. 

Yes, but all the nitrogen is in the pee - horsemuck bedded on straw is a really good fertiliser as well as a soil-improver.

[coo!]

your'e all talkin *!!

[Rampant_Weasel]

i use well rotted to improve the soil b4 potatoes and for a good mulch and feed for flowers.
and at teh same time i get some nice bags of fresh for mixind in to the compost.