Compressed Manure Pellets

[Tara]

Originally posted by webtalk2003
So good around fruit and berry plants as well I suppose?

Definitely!

But I have to admit to a total mess up in my own back yard.... :eek: Last year, I fed my grass every 2 weeks and it is looking wonderful this year, however the feed, which promotes leafy growth, must have strayed onto the sides where there are bluebells. Well this year, they have come up with tons and tons of leaves, but only a couple of very stumpy flower stems. Oh dear, I hope they recover!

[Bushbaby]

Originally posted by webtalk2003
well, I wouldn't mind depositing lion droppings for a couple of months around silly season. Maybe that'll be enough to scare them off.

Need to follow BB's advice re. manure. SOmeone local is prepared to drop off some horse manure which she says is well rotted but ... how do I know for sure?

Maybe the thing to do is to pile it high for a few months and let it get rid of all the bad stuff.

Any thoughts?

If it is well rotted it should be a dark, homogenous mass that smells 'earthy' but doesn't stink. It should also be damp to slightly dry, not sodden. If you want, you can incorporate it on a 1 to 3 basis with compost before using in the garden, otherwise just mulch around your plants once the manure has been dug in and this will smother any weeds that do try to come up.

[PomBok]

Originally posted by webtalk2003
well, I wouldn't mind depositing lion droppings for a couple of months around silly season. Maybe that'll be enough to scare them off.

Need to follow BB's advice re. manure. SOmeone local is prepared to drop off some horse manure which she says is well rotted but ... how do I know for sure?

Maybe the thing to do is to pile it high for a few months and let it get rid of all the bad stuff.

Any thoughts?

Hi WT

Bushbaby's advice is good stuff.

The only thing I'd add is that if the manure you get isn't well rotted, it's going to need to be piled up for about six months before you can use it; you have to get rid of all the ammonia in it or it will burn the plants.

As an alternative, I got 2 cubic years of mushroom compost delivered by my local garden centre for just 40 quid. I have very heavy clay soil so have been digging it in at a rate of 2 barrow loads to the square yard (using double digging), it has done wonders for the soil structure and drainage.

As to the cat problem, you and me both! Having dug out new beds the little toe-rags seem to think I have simply provided them with giant litter trays!!!

[Bushbaby]

A suggestion I was given re cats was to plant a bed of catnep in the garden to distract them. Haven't tried it yet so cannot comment on its effectiveness.