Use of compost to grow veg

I am trying to fill a raised bed
I can get a tonne of 12year old horse manure, it appears now to be jet black soil full of worms,no sign of straw or shavings or its original source

Would this be OK to grow veg in, or do I have to source loam/soil ?

Jack McHammocklashing

 

Can't comment about other veg, but I would fully expect you'd get an amazing crop of spuds from it. In my experience, there is literally nothing better than horse poo for spuds.

 

Just beware root crops dont like rich soil they grow like aliens

 

Wot. No 12 yr old Horses then?

 

Sounds ideal Jack, its only fresh poo that makes root veg fork so should be good.

 

Would have thought it would be ok after 12 years John?

 

Good point, unless its been in the rain.

 

This Horse manure, is piled six foot deep, in part of a field 40yards wide x 20yards long The new stuff is at the front
Digging from the wall of it at the back, on top it has about three inches of grass roots, wild flowers and tree seedlings growing,
The five foot wall below that is jet black soil with dozens of red worms

Before the twelve years, the council were charging them (at that time) £80 for each lorry load picked up
They decided just to pile it as they have acres of grassland with race horses on them

The old dear was telling me how wonderful it was that two young men in their twenties come every week from March to Sept and take away two buckets full of the worms, and give her a fiver

Have you seen the price of worms on the internet :DOH:

Today I did the 12mtr back border, extended it from 2' wide to 1mtr
lifted all the roses and bushes out , riddled the top four inches, dug it over
re laid the stone edging, dug in five of the bags of manure, replanted the roses and the one bush that is going back in, Then it got dark
Dark stopped play and I am knackered

Tomorrow, I have the Gym AM then I intend to do the bottom border, with the same treatment, only I am having problems getting one of the Fushia's out, already broken a round mouth spade and a fork (looking for cheap replacement shafts)

I think I am going to put a chain around the bottom of the bush, then a very long strong tow rope, along the back garden, up the side of the house to the front and attach rope to car towing eye
If it does not work, I do not have a laptop, and the hospital here does not have computer access, so maybe missing for a while


Jack McH

 

We had to do simliar with an oak tree in Turkey. Spent all day trying to get it out of a 2000 year old wall.

Had to drag it out with a Landrover in the end:DOH:

 

Be careful out there Jack!

If you don't get all the Fuschia's roots out it's likely to re-grow. I dug one out three years ago and shoots still come up from roots still there. I've started spraying the shoots with glyphosate, hopefully that will finish them off.

 

Are you being our resident Poo expert again Remember last time?