Manure in Cork

FMG

Is there somewhere to buy farmyard/ horse manure local in Cork ?. Just a bags it's a very small area

hirondelle

Most garden centres sell bagged FYM.

FMG

hirondelle wrote: »

Most garden centres sell bagged FYM.

Thanks, I wonder is this organic or peat free. It would be handy if it would do.
I tried phoning Hanleys to pick up onion and garlic seed but no reply. I'll give them a go again and ask about the compost.

hirondelle

FMG wrote: »

Thanks, I wonder is this organic or peat free. It would be handy if it would do.
I tried phoning Hanleys to pick up onion and garlic seed but no reply. I'll give them a go again and ask about the compost.

The prebagged stuff is almost certainly not organic, and the only issue in terms of peat is where it is being used as bedding (particularly for posh horses) and is then treated as other "mucked out" waste- there would be no reason to add it specifically to FYM. I think it is a small part of the bedding market so chances are it would be ok.

FMG

hirondelle wrote: »

The prebagged stuff is almost certainly not organic, and the only issue in terms of peat is where it is being used as bedding (particularly for posh horses) and is then treated as other "mucked out" waste- there would be no reason to add it specifically to FYM. I think it is a small part of the bedding market so chances are it would be ok.

Thanks, a friend brings her kids horse riding and should be able to arrange a few bags. I might not even need manure as I haven't grown anything but I have a bit to much time in my hands atm lol. Thanks hirondelle.

DukeCaboom

FMG wrote: »

Thanks, a friend brings her kids horse riding and should be able to arrange a few bags. I might not even need manure as I haven't grown anything but I have a bit to much time in my hands atm lol. Thanks hirondelle.

That's exactly what I do too. I'm a farmer but was warned not to use it cattle dung as its too acidic and will kill anything you use it on. Had to get horse dung.

hirondelle

FMG wrote: »

Thanks, a friend brings her kids horse riding and should be able to arrange a few bags. I might not even need manure as I haven't grown anything but I have a bit to much time in my hands atm lol. Thanks hirondelle.

Ah! Dukecaboom is on the right tracks, but it is how old the manure is rather than cow versus horse.

Fresh manure is too acidic to add, so if you do get fresh stuff, park it in a corner for a year and let it rot down. Far better to get some well-rotted stuff which can be added to soil to improve structure, or used a s top-dressing around plants (roses of course being the obvious one). If you are digging it out yourself you will notice that rotted manure is darker and more uniform, fresh still has straw or woodshavings clearly visible.
My understanding is that horse manure has more nutrients than cow manure, but it is still worthwhile using.

Southern Comfort

I used this a few years ago. Very good. The company is operated by a man named Billy Wigham.

https://geeup.ie/

LurkerNo1

DukeCaboom wrote: »

That's exactly what I do too. I'm a farmer but was warned not to use it cattle dung as its too acidic and will kill anything you use it on. Had to get horse dung.

Whoever warned you that has not a clue. It irritates me the amount of pseudo science and old wives tales in gardening. Look at Charles Dowding and his no dig gardening. His main source of compost is cow manure and has incredible success. You should let it rot down a while before use but same goes for horse manure. You are lucky to have access to it, if I were you I'd be using it.

SouthWesterly

DukeCaboom wrote: »

That's exactly what I do too. I'm a farmer but was warned not to use it cattle dung as its too acidic and will kill anything you use it on. Had to get horse dung.

And yet thousands of farmers spread slurry every year.


ive 3 trailer loads of manure in my garden from a local farmer.:D

Live at Three

SouthWesterly wrote: »

And yet thousands of farmers spread slurry every year.


ive 3 trailer loads of manure in my garden from a local farmer.:D

I'm currently thinking that cow manure is even better than horse manure as it has less weed and grass seed. Cows digest these things better with their 4 stomachs.

Hocus Focus

DukeCaboom wrote: »

That's exactly what I do too. I'm a farmer but was warned not to use it cattle dung as its too acidic and will kill anything you use it on. Had to get horse dung.

Put some aside and let it rot well for about a year, then it's perfect for plants.

Hocus Focus

SouthWesterly wrote: »

And yet thousands of farmers spread slurry every year.


ive 3 trailer loads of manure in my garden from a local farmer.:D

They spray the slurry very thinly on well established grassland. Putting fresh farmyard manure (i.e. containing bedding) as a mulch, on tender plants is a different story.

Hocus Focus

SouthWesterly wrote: »

And yet thousands of farmers spread slurry every year.


ive 3 trailer loads of manure in my garden from a local farmer.:D

hirondelle wrote: »

The prebagged stuff is almost certainly not organic, and the only issue in terms of peat is where it is being used as bedding (particularly for posh horses) and is then treated as other "mucked out" waste- there would be no reason to add it specifically to FYM. I think it is a small part of the bedding market so chances are it would be ok.

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with using horse manure containing peat. It will not do any harm and as it has already been extracted from the bog and used as bedding I don't see any ethically wrong with reusing it to make plants grow, particularly if they are flowering ones that will benefit pollenisers.

hirondelle

Hocus Focus wrote: »

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with using horse manure containing peat. It will not do any harm and as it has already been extracted from the bog and used as bedding I don't see any ethically wrong with reusing it to make plants grow, particularly if they are flowering ones that will benefit pollenisers.

Well all turf and peatland by definition is extracted from a bog so it all comes a cost in terms of carbon and biodiversity. As extracting peat for energy is being phased out by BnM they, and the rest of the industry have been looking for alternative ways to sell milled peat. This product didn't exist twenty years ago, so it is (in a relatively small way) putting further pressure on the lowland bogs.

I get your point about it being a secondary use- I would like to know if it was in a commercial FYM if I was buying it. Incredibly, elsewhere in the world, old growth forests are still being cut down for paper products- the same point stands, it is questionable and consumers definitely should be told if contents are from a source that is a problem.

In my opinion!

Markcheese

Southern Comfort wrote: »

I used this a few years ago. Very good. The company is operated by a man named Billy Wigham.

https://geeup.ie/

Dairygold co-op stock it , it's good stuff..
Comes in nice clean bags too..

Hocus Focus

hirondelle wrote: »

Well all turf and peatland by definition is extracted from a bog so it all comes a cost in terms of carbon and biodiversity. As extracting peat for energy is being phased out by BnM they, and the rest of the industry have been looking for alternative ways to sell milled peat. This product didn't exist twenty years ago, so it is (in a relatively small way) putting further pressure on the lowland bogs.

I get your point about it being a secondary use- I would like to know if it was in a commercial FYM if I was buying it. Incredibly, elsewhere in the world, old growth forests are still being cut down for paper products- the same point stands, it is questionable and consumers definitely should be told if contents are from a source that is a problem.

In my opinion!

I think Moss Peat has been around for more than 20 years for horticultural purposes. I can remember it back to the late 60s. Back then straw was used for horse bedding. Perhaps the use of peat moss for this purpose only came in 20 years ago. IMHO it's a good idea to use this as a fertiliser, as, by growing plants with it you are effectively sequestering carbon.