{"id":2421,"date":"2021-09-24T14:46:06","date_gmt":"2021-09-24T14:46:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gardendad.co.uk\/?p=2421"},"modified":"2021-09-24T14:48:25","modified_gmt":"2021-09-24T14:48:25","slug":"when-is-the-best-time-to-put-manure-on-the-allotment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gardendad.co.uk\/when-is-the-best-time-to-put-manure-on-the-allotment\/","title":{"rendered":"When Is The Best Time To Put Manure On The Allotment?"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is no denying that putting manure on your allotment is a great thing; good for the soil and good for the following year\u2019s veg. But when is the best time to put manure on the allotment? We are here to tell you when, and how to do this for best results.<\/p>\n

How Often Should You Manure On Allotment?<\/h2>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

You may breathe a sigh of relief when you hear that you don\u2019t actually have to manure your allotment all that often!<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not like weeding, which needs to done very regularly to keep on top of invaders; manuring the allotment is an occasional job.<\/p>\n

Some schools of thought suggest that once every thee years is enough for the plants to get extra nutrients.<\/p>\n

However, if your soil is particularly poor, or you are planting especially greedy plants, you may wish to manure more often.<\/p>\n

Whatever your circumstances, you shouldn\u2019t manure your allotment more than once a year<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Over manuring can lead to problems with your plants; too much nitrogen may be released into the soil, and this can affect growth.<\/p>\n

When Should Manure Be Applied?<\/h2>\n

Depending on the type of soil you have, you should consider manuring your allotment at different times of the year:<\/p>\n

For most soils, applying manure in Spring (March <\/strong>to April) <\/strong>is the ideal time. This will be just before the growth of new plants begins, so they should get all the nutrients.<\/p>\n

If you have sandy soil, you should manure from late Winter<\/strong>. This means that the nutrients will be able to get into the soil, even though it is less good at absorbing.<\/p>\n

You can, of course, manure in Autumn<\/strong>, as long as you don\u2019t have sandy soil – this is a good solution, as the cold weather will allow the nutrients to be absorbed slowly.<\/p>\n

It is not recommended to manure in late summer<\/strong>, as the breakdown of the manure will release soluble nutrients which will then be easily washed away by winter rains.<\/p>\n

Do not put any manure where you have seedlings<\/strong>, as it can burn the delicate young plants.<\/p>\n

How Do You Spread Manure On An Allotment?<\/h2>\n

Spreading manure on an allotment can be as easy as simply spreading it over the surface, and leaving it to work its way in.<\/p>\n

Or, you can spend hours digging it in and spreading it through the soil – this method takes more effort, but it can be very effective, especially for heavy soils.<\/p>\n

You should try to make sure that you spread the manure around easily – it\u2019s no good having a big clump in one area, and none in another!<\/p>\n

You can use a rake or a fork to spread out the manure well enough so that the whole plot is covered.<\/p>\n

Tipping out a bit here and there from a wheelbarrow is also a good option; just make sure you don\u2019t slip and dump the whole lot in one place!<\/p>\n

Should I Dig Manure In Or Leave On Top?<\/h2>\n

There are two schools of thought when it comes to manure on your allotment – you can either dig it in<\/strong>, or leave it on the surface<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    \n
  • If you leave it on the surface, this is undoubtedly easier and takes less effort than digging it in.<\/li>\n
  • Digging in the manure can help it to break down more quickly, and allow the nutrients to spread through the soil.<\/li>\n
  • Leaving manure on the surface will still give the soil the same benefits, but it may take a little longer.<\/li>\n
  • If you dig in your manure, it has the added bonus of breaking up the soil – this is great if you have particularly heavy soil.<\/li>\n
  • Any manure you add to your allotment should be well rotted, particularly if you have young plants, as un-rotted manure can burn plants.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    This video, although it is a little amateur, shows you a version of applying manure and leaving it to lie on the surface:<\/p>\n