[photoboy]

Since last posting I had to leave my newly built first raised bed and have moved into an old farmhouse on Dartmoor. To cut to the chase there are a lot of very old barns in our courtyard still with a lot of straw and manure covering the floors. I would imagine these barns haven't been used for many years so as you can imagine "well rotted" is an understatement. I raked it up and it is very light and crisp! Question to you the informed is...Is it any good, should I bother digging it into my new plot or is it now worthless??

[Aidy]

so long as you know no chemicals was ever used then certainly dig it in, even if the nutrients have been washed away it will add vital body to soil.

[peterjf]

its the best thing you could use if it was animal bedding , holding pens , get on the land

[photoboy]

Thank you, good to hear it, as soon as the ground thaws out (if ever, we are 1000ft up here!) I will get it in, am I also correct in thinking that because I use a small amount of coal on my woodburner that I shouldn't use the ash on the plot?

[JayG]

The knotty ash problem was discussed at great length recently HERE

I think you should be the judge; it possibly comes down to the proportion of coal to wood you are burning.

One thing all seem to have agreed on is to keep the ash dry before use as the nutrients are quickly leached away.