[Azazello]

Hello

I'm in to my third season with my allotment and things have been steadily improving.

I have some nice (bokashi) compost that's been sitting for the last few months  - can I use compost as a substitute for manure?

Also, I used chicken manure pellets as a fertilizer last year. Everything did well enough last year but feel I could do better - would it be best to use it in conjunction with something like bonemeal?

Thanks in advance for any observations or advice you might have.

[New shoot]

Can't help with the bokashi question but lots of people do use compost rather than manure.  It's adding bulky organic matter to the soil the improve soil structure that is the key thing.

As for chicken pellets - they are a nitrogen rich fertiliser (leaves and shoots food) and only last about 6 weeks.  Bonemeal is phosphorus rich (root builder) but you also need pottasium for fruit development - tomatoes, courgettes and the like all benefit from this when fruiting starts.  Gromore is a balanced fertiliser with all 3.

[Azazello]

Thanks - I'll get some Gromore then.

The bokashi is quite interesting - it's been all our food waste - it's fermented and ends up as compost very quickly, including chicken carcasses. I don't know if it'll make any difference to the quality of my veg, but I'm happy not to chuck any food waste into the bin.

[strangerachael]

Hi Azazello - fellow bokashi enthusiast here - I think it's great  - although I have never put any bones in, other than the very small ones. How long does a chicken carcass take to compost down - after boiling up for stock first of course  ?

[Totty]

Bokashi will add some nutrients to the ground but most importantly, it will help (over time) add texture to your soil.

Totty

[Azazello]

Hi Azazello - fellow bokashi enthusiast here - I think it's great  - although I have never put any bones in, other than the very small ones. How long does a chicken carcass take to compost down - after boiling up for stock first of course  ?

I guess things have slowed down over the winter, but I started early last summer and the first bucket load (including a broken up carcass) had been pretty much turned into compost within about 4-6 weeks, I was amazed as I was just turning the compost over to see what was going on; all that was left was a little bit of white sludgy stuff - the worms were all over it!

[Azazello]

Bokashi will add some nutrients to the ground but most importantly, it will help (over time) add texture to your soil.

Totty

Thanks Totty. My soil is quiite good - tendency to sandiness at one end and it's a bit clay-like at the other (with a sweet spot in the middle) - I'll use manure for the clay-ish end and the compost for the rest and see how it goes.

I suppose the thing is to replenish/texture the soil each year.