[Zippy]

Hi mobilekat - I'm not sure what diseases you are referring to unless you mean blackfly which is a pest that is common on legumes.

If I were planting brassicas next year I wouldn't use mustard for example because it can increase the risk of clubroot, but legumes do not build or harbour disease that I know of.   

I would grow winter Tares and follow on with any legumes the following year and wouldn't expect problems except to say there would be no point as legume crops are nitrogen fixers so I wouldn't put a pea or bean crop where a nitrogen fixer had already been.

[greenun]

The problem with horse manure are weed seeds. The horse eats like a vacuum cleaner.
The seeds pass through and end up all over the garden. Still good stuff tho'.

[mobilekat]

Hi Zippy- was mainly thinking of pea weevils and similar bugs that like to lurk around the roots- had been told these like the nodes on the roots that produce the nitrogen as a tasty snack, and thought they would also attack winter tares too.

[Zippy]

Hi mobilekat  - thanks for that - hadn't thought of overwintering pests.

In my case this wouldn't be a problem as I wouldn't sow Winter Tares on a bed I had planned for Peas and Beans the next year as Nitrogen level wouldn't be a concern for a legume crop; more likely to sow Mustard if anything and hoe it off early against clubroot, or Buckwheat though it wouldn't survive winter I don't think.

I did sow Winter Tares on the Brassica bed the year before to give the brassicas a nitro-boost; doing well.

[Zippy]

Having expounded the virtues of green manure (and still do), I am nevertheless going to admit that it is next to impossible to gather enough green waste in a community setting, and with something called life and expectations getting in the way, to maintain a plot at a sustainable level for vegetable production.

However, I do believe that any manure collected for the allotment should be from animals which are respectfully and humanely treated and preferably organic in diet. I personally prefer to use manure from animals which are not reared for the meat trade in any way; my personal choice.

So I am off to a local friend, who keeps alpacas for fun and fleece and are a happy friendly bunch, at the weekend to fill my car. I believe in admitting when I am stumped!

[mobilekat]

Sounds good- we are lucky, I get my manure from my aunt (well from her horses, sheep and chickens!)
We also get a fair bit of our meat from her too, all home reared and only ever travels once.

We are composting the majority of the things we can, and luckily our council give us compost bins for the things we don't want (good riddance to the bindweed and brambles!)

[Zippy]

came back with just over 20 stone of lovely black stable manure and alpaca poo. I had forgotten how much I enjoy playing with well rotted manure.

Some for under the squashes, some for hoeing into the sweetcorn bed and the rest for the compost bins.  Its good to be back!

[mobilekat]

Good manure is so rewarding- full of deep dark promise, and smells very earthy, with loadsa worms!

makes you imagine the plants tucking in a growing well when you dig it!

[greenun]

Some for under the squashes, some for hoeing into the sweetcorn bed and the rest for the compost bins.  Its good to be back!
[/quote]
Wot! Nothing for the rhubarb!?

[Zippy]

Wot! Nothing for the rhubarb!?

Uh-oh - there's an excuse to go back for more and to pat the alpacas again! Oh and there's the roses at home ...