Basics

It's clear from my short time here that there is a very good group of keen rose growers here on GC. I thought that I should share with you all the secret that all rose growers know!
This is not cock and bull . . . . . . no . . . . . . it's pig!



Just had a day off work, shifting and spreading the stuff. Eight tons makes quite a pile and in spite of my best efforts there's still a lot left to shift! Still the roses should love it! Not so good on the nose though.

 

That looks good stuff Mondo. Hard work on the back though!

 

Blinking Heck thats a big pile,how many roses do you have
When i worked on a pig farm(35yrs back) there was'nt a blade of straw in it,poor things were lucky to see sawdust once a week you couldnt walk on the the muck heap it was as dangerous as quick sand ..pure grey sludge

 

When I was a kid, our local park had the most amazing rose garden. It was so amazing that even as a kid I was interested in going to see what new rose had been planted since I'd last been. It really was impressive, and I'm not looking back with rose tinted glasses

The parky used to put huge amounts of fresh, often still steaming horse poo on the rose beds.

Nowadays though, there seems to be some advice in circulation that fresh manure is bad for the roses. I'm no expert, but I can only go from what experts of yesteryear did, and it was always those that had access to the best poo that had the best roses.

 

Cor lovely stuff....the best thing for Roses IMO

 

I think it's too early in the day for me to be looking at animal poo. Lol husband was not happy when I told him what manure was.

Such a shame I can't use baby poo

 

How do you mean? Didn't he know?

 

Lol nope. When I was putting it on my roses he turned to his brother and said "look thats poo, can you believe I paid £5 a bag for poo?!" lol it was then his brothers turn to be shocked. Very simple family who know little of the world.

 

My brain struggled to process the idea that somebody didn't know what manure was. In fairness though, to me, it is one of those things people just know, like the sky is grey and the grass is green, I guess because my dad kept livestock since I was tiny, so I just grew up with such concepts. Its hard (for me) to imagine any other way

 

£5 a bag????

 

I bought it from b&q it was 4 something. I didn't no where where else to get it from.


You think that's funny clueless, ask him what a rooster is. Apparently, someone in Kenya is teaching everyone that a rooster is a female chicken in English

 

If you don't mind getting a bit stinky (you'll wash ), many riding schools and livery stables will let you take as much as you want for free, if you can shift it yourself. Just put a big sheet of plastic in the car boot and head over there with a roll of heavy duty sacks. Just give them a call first to make sure they're ok with it, save a wasted journey if they're not because some of the more modern ones might be worried about formalities like liability, and/or they might already have someone that takes it away.

 

Looool I actually expected hubby to refuse when I told him but bless him hes keeping an open mind.

On gumtree there are people giving it away for free but it's too far.

There was a riding school near my old house. Will try there in August when I'm less busy.


Clueless, have YOU tried fresh horse poo on your roses?

 

No, but only because I don't really have any roses except two that were already here. I've used it on potatoes though. Best crop ever.

 

Hmmm, shame I'm no rose expert. Would of experimented on 1