Is your dog's unusual barking a secret code for something mysterious?

[Rock N Rose]

I compost over the summer months and have just spread it all out over the veg plot ready for the spring, would it be ok to put chicken poo in there stright from the eglu onto the veg plot to rot down over the winter or does it need to go in the composter first.

 

Thanks, Ian

[Guest]

yes you can because it's got time to rot down.

 

p.s. my sister loves your perfume!

[Christian]

I dig my chickens' poo straight into the raised beds over winter.

[Egluntyne]

I'd say no....compost it first as it may contain organisms which could contaminate crops, and is also a bit 'hot' and nitrogeny for some seedlings unless it has rotted down.

[Saronne]

Last winter I put fresh droppings straight onto my raised beds. In April/May I dug them in and then planted seeds/seedlings as usual. My lettuces, chard and courgettes grew like triffids!

 

 

Saronne x

[whoopsie]

I had a mint plant that was doing really badly, then I washed out the poo tray around it - AMAZING!!!! I've got a compost heap going over the winter though as I can't be bothered to dig at this time of year!

[beulah59]

I'm about to fill a number of raised beds (if I have enough soil!) so I'm planning to empty the compost bins into the bottom of each before it's filled. That will be well rotted through to fresh compost/hen poo/straw etc. Then I can start again with the three compost bins and possibly also the overflow heap!

 

So ... I'll let you know how it goes.

[welshnik]

Veg yes, flowers no!

[Guest]

you may know this already but just in case, don't dig any in where you're going to grow carrots or parsnips, the root will tend to branch off and you end up with spindly funny shaped roots.

[TAJ]

I would say it depends what you sre planting - it will be too strong for some crops. we have 4 compost bins and it generally goes through that first, however over the winter we will dig trenches in the next years potato beds and put some in neat over the winter. Last year the yield/size of potatoes grown on the chicken poo was better than the other rows. Some crops, such as carrots & parsnips do not grow well and get tap roots if the manure level is high.

 

Tracy