Old manure piles now compost, potting soil, what?

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I bought some property which was a horse stable operation which had fallen into disrepair in recent years. It's not been used in a couple years or more now. In it's last years it appears that cleaning the stables consisted of simply dumping the manure outside on three sides.

I'm moving all of that away from the building now and find that it's now just a very rich looking soil (as opposed to manure). What I'd like to know is what I have here now and what my best course of action might be with it. It looks and feels almost like potting soil and time has proven that the growth on it sure takes off. ;o)

Any thoughts on what I have and what to do with it? Thanks.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), May 02, 2002

Answers

Put it in your garden or put your garden in the manure piles.

-- Laura (Ladybugwrangler@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002.

If you're a gardener, what you have is a gold mine. Put it in the garden and thank your lucky stars.

-- Deborah Stephenson (wonkaandgypsy@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002.

Thank you, ladies. I thought it was pretty good stuff, but wasn't 100% sure. I guess I'll just move it all into a big pile away from the barn for now. It'll be a really big pile, too. Believe it or not, I'll bet I've got between forty and sixty cubic yards, anyhow. Now I know not to just treat it like so much dirt but to conserve it for future projects. ;o) Thanks again.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), May 03, 2002.

Most farms around here generate that much manure in a day. Great fertilizer, spread it where you want something to grow. :)

--->Paul

-- paul (ramblerplm@hotmail.com), May 03, 2002.


Dig it up and sell it to the city folks for $25/bag.

Sounds like you have a nice bit of soil for a garden.

I layer my garden each year with compost from my llama's. I have 3 compost piles and rotate yearly. By the third year compost is fine and ready for any garden.

The llama beans can go directly on the garden if I like but I like to use them to help compost the rest of the pile.

-- Gary (gws@columbus.rr.com), May 03, 2002.



Contact landscaping companies in your area. Let them know what you have. The may either buy it outright or maybe you can swap for some of THEIR goods... You always wanted a gazebo, right? WONDERFUL find!!

-- Gailann Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), May 03, 2002.

About $2 per bag :>)

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), May 03, 2002.

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