To much FYM

Sligoronan

I put in 6 raised beds in the garden last year. Planted the usually first time stuff cabbage, onions a few potatoes strawberrys sprouts lettus etc. Any ways I dug 4 of the beds up in late oct and put in a good doseing of farm yard manure from a cow that i had in a shed. Real fresh stuff. Now I 4 beds with 5 million worms in each. I have turned the soil 3 or four time through the winter and I still see the raw manure. Should I remove some and add some peat and soil or will it breake down enought over the next mount or so. Will the soil be to rich in N to plant anything.

My Potatoes

Does it still smell of manure or look yellow? It's been there three months, during a relatively warm winter, and an exceptionally mild November, so the rotting should be well underway. I'd say you should wait 'til you're ready to plant before making a decision. Given how cold the soil is at the moment, you won't be planting crop for a while.

Sligoronan

My Potatoes wrote: »

Does it still smell of manure or look yellow? It's been there three months, during a relatively warm winter, and an exceptionally mild November, so the rotting should be well underway. I'd say you should wait 'til you're ready to plant before making a decision. Given how cold the soil is at the moment, you won't be planting crop for a while.

Thanks potatoe. It's smells all right and is quite yellow. Im sure when the worms have another 2 months they thin it out another bit.
Will post a pic tomorrow and see.

cormywormy

if you have soil handy put a few inches in to soil your vegetables or plants in. If you don't....dont worry about it. Your raised bed is basically an active composting heap. The worms are breaking down the dung. So by all means leave them there let them work away....great tools
no the soil will not have too much N now, as while the dung is being broken down the soil microbes will be using some of the available soil nitrogen for this. Let the dung rot well down first as fresh dung is no use to the soil. It will just rob nutrients.

leave as is and sow away. Stick up a picture anyways jus out of curiosity:).

keltoms05

yeah when adding the FYM it should be well rotted and not warm. If your buying manure in bags, feel the outside of the bag and if its warm its still breaking down!

Sligoronan

As promised.

My Potatoes

Looks ok. A bit clumpy, you'll need to do a but of digging/cultivating.

cormywormy

Look to be water pooling in the raised beds? which should not happen, granted yes alot of rain lately but they should drain. Make sure good drain holes in the beds. And if you have soil there put some on top of the ground as that manure on top is way too fresh so sow around.