[Digger Parsnip]

hi all,
hope you all had a great Pancake Day.
just a quick question, i had 16 bags of manure/compost for my birthday ,
can i chuck this down on my allotment now and grow stuff straight on it?
or does it have to be dug in and left for a year before growing in it?

cheers
Digger

[WG.]

Wow, great birthday present.   New manure is better stacked (or composted) for 12 month (six if you are in a hurry).

Compost or old manure can be used right away.  Keep all manure away from areas intended to grow your namesake, or carrot, beetroot, turnips

[Digger Parsnip]

cheers wg ,

i think the manure has been in bags since last year,

is it ok to use right away?

digger

[wellingtons]

... stick you hand in ... does it look and feel like compost or does it look and feel like fresh manure?  

Still not sure ... sniff it ... if it smells strongly of ammonia leave it for six months or a year ... if it just smells earthy you can use it.

I knew this being a farmer's daughter malarky would come in handy one day.

[WG.]

i think the manure has been in bags since last year, is it ok to use right away?

Yes go for it.  Any that looks too strawy can simply be thrown on your compost heap.  (Unrotted straw causes nitrogen robbery when dug in)

[Digger Parsnip]

Wow, great birthday present.   New manure is better stacked (or composted) for 12 month (six if you are in a hurry).

Compost or old manure can be used right away.  Keep all manure away from areas intended to grow your namesake, or carrot, beetroot, turnips

so can i grow diggers,carrots, beetroot and turnips then?

[WG.]

Keep all manure away from areas intended to grow your namesake, or carrot, beetroot, turnips

so can i grow diggers,carrots, beetroot and turnips then?

No. Keep ALL manure away from areas intended to grow your namesake, or carrot, beetroot, turnips.

Leave some ground un-manured for these crops.  NEXT year, rotate them onto ground manured THIS year.

[Digger Parsnip]

so what can i plant ?  :cry:

[wellingtons]

...   ... they love it, and french beans, but don't blame me when you've enough beans to feed the 5000.  

Pumpkins ... I grow my pumpkins in my half rotted compost heap to save space.

[Digger Parsnip]

Thanks Welly , how about cabbages and onions?

[WG.]

Keep ALL manure away from areas intended to grow parsnip, or carrot, beetroot, turnips

You can plant almost anything else in manured ground.  Put salsify, scorzonera on your excluded list.