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Fertilising a field

 
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judith



Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire
PostPosted: Mon Sep 11, 06 1:12 pm    Post subject: Fertilising a field Reply with quote
    

Do I need to? What should I use? Can I do it without tractor and slurry spreading equipment? Would horse poo be OK, if so what would be the best way to apply it? Dilute and spray? Dunno.
The grass is lovely and dense right now, and my two little sheeplets aren't making much of a dent in it this year, but I'm worrying in advance about when we have extra mouths to feed next year. Help!

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45374
Location: yes
PostPosted: Mon Sep 11, 06 8:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

how are the locals fixed for equipment (and manure )
well rotted is best and a few tons spread by machine should be fairly cheap or tradeable
or add extra stock for a few weeks to up the dung rate and nibble the extra grass
or both
doing a field even a little one with a barrow and fork is a monster task .

Tavascarow



Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall
PostPosted: Mon Sep 11, 06 9:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Stack your horse poo & get it composting. Spread it in the winter when the horses are in & let the weather wash it in.
Only do this if your heap gets nice & hot & it would pay to turn it at least once. the heat kills off egg cysts etc.
By the spring when you turn out you may have to much grass

judith



Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire
PostPosted: Tue Sep 12, 06 9:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Thanks chaps. Locals around here use the slurry that builds up from keeping their cows indoors over Winter, so the consistency is a lot sloppier than horse poo. We don't have horses of our own, but our neighbour does, and we are welcome to take as much manure as we want - it's just trying to work out how much we would need and how to apply it.

Before we had the sheep, we didn't give the grass a moment's thought - just mowed it when it got too long. Now it seems like something else to worry about!

percypony



Joined: 06 Jan 2005
Posts: 146
Location: Hants
PostPosted: Tue Sep 12, 06 10:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I was only think about this the other day. We have horses so an endless supply of fertiliser (and if anyone else wants some please come and get it! ) but was wonering how long we wold have to leave the horses off the field once spread? Would the winter be long enough for it to wash in so the grass is no longer sour?
We would also have to spread it by hand so would think be too much and should I just stick with the chemical route?

wellington womble



Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands
PostPosted: Tue Sep 12, 06 2:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

judith wrote:
We don't have horses of our own, but our neighbour does, and we are welcome to take as much manure as we want - it's just trying to work out how much we would need and how to apply it.


Can one not apply it straight from the horse (so to speak!) and than harrow it in (this is the extent of my land management knowledge, so if it sounds like rubbish, then it probably is!)

tahir



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45389
Location: Essex
PostPosted: Tue Sep 12, 06 2:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Is there much in the way of clover in the sward?

judith



Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire
PostPosted: Tue Sep 12, 06 2:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

tahir wrote:
Is there much in the way of clover in the sward?


Yes, there is quite a lot of red clover.

Tavascarow



Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall
PostPosted: Tue Sep 12, 06 2:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

That shows the soil is lacking in nitrogen. Not much clover & plenty of stinging nettles indicates a high nitrogen soil. If your poo is well composted you won't have any problem with sour soil or turn out. Also its lighter & easier to handle when composted. A couple of weeks of good winter weather will wash it in.

judith



Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire
PostPosted: Tue Sep 12, 06 3:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Good stuff. I'll see if I can get a pile going this weekend. Thanks.

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