Cheap fertilizer?

Bitsy_Beans

Sorry if this has been asked before.
I have a brand spanking new raised bed in my garden. However I want to improve the quality of the soil as cheaply as possible.
No where near me is selling any muck. To buy a bag of manure in the local DIY is about £5 a bag :eek: and since the bed it pretty large I really don't want to spend that much (don't have the money to either).
So what are the cheaper alternatives? Would chicken manure pellets do the job or not? I've added what bit of home compost is ready but it's not enough.

Do you lovely peeps have any suggestions.
Off to take my son to school so will check back later.

phil_51

What is the soil like, If it is all think clay then you will really need some well rotted manure mixed with extra compost on top.

If the soil texture is ok then chicken manure pellets will be ok this year. Try Wilko who have them on offer...
http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/invt/0274765
or for a bit cheaper..
http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/invt/0223723

Horse manure is often free from Horse stables but will need to rot down and beware of the possible Aminopyralid! Read www.manurematters.co.uk

Lotus-eater

Its worth trying hard to find someone that has horses and wants to get rid of manure, especially if you have a large growing area, because that relationship can last for years and years. Take note that not everyone composts their horse poo in the right way for gardeners, you want someone that piles it up and leaves it for a year or so, ideally they will use straw as bedding.

As phil says, it depends on your soil, a clay soil will usually have lots of nutrients in it anyway and chicken pellets would probably do as a top up, the garden compost will really help, even if it is just a little bit well spread out.

It also depends what you are growing, some things need more than others.

Bitsy_Beans

Thanks both. My soil isn't clay - not sure what it would be classed as TBH. It doesn't look particularly sandy either......
Am planning on growing leeks, cauli, broccoli, lettuce, spring onions, courgettes and carrots.
I walked through local allotment this morning and there is a board up advertising horse manure for £45 (incl delivery) for a ton. I think this may be a little bit too much for my little plot so didn't really want to order more than I need.
My friend has horses but unfortunately she lives in Hampshire I wonder if she's post me some
I am going to have to top it up a little with some extra top soil so I wonder if my local garden centres also supply stuff like that.
Sorry totally new to all this - can you tell.......

hungrynurse_2

tons of people around here ask for people to take their horse much on freecycle, others bag it & sell it at the bottom of their drive for 50p a bag. I get it from someone who advertised on freecycle, and chatting to her, she has to pay to get it taken away if she cant get rid of it

steerpike

As a horse owner, I would be delighted to let gardeners come with barrows and bags to collect horse poo out of the field - the big problem is that lots of people want it but they don't want the hard work of collecting and bagging - just want to be able to pop along and collect it after I have collected, composted and bagged it for them and they want it free of course! Grrhhh!

Auntie-Dolly

You could ask on freecycle if anyone nearby has chickens. They generate loads of poo. I asked on my freecycle if anyone wanted it & was nearly crushed by the rush!

theGrinch

steerpike wrote: »

As a horse owner, I would be delighted to let gardeners come with barrows and bags to collect horse poo out of the field - the big problem is that lots of people want it but they don't want the hard work of collecting and bagging - just want to be able to pop along and collect it after I have collected, composted and bagged it for them and they want it free of course! Grrhhh!

can I ask whereabouts you are?

steerpike

Just outside Sunny S!!!!horpe ...Sorry for the rant...I am, perhaps, unfortunate that everyone who has asked me for horse poo have been under the impression that they are doing me a big favour by taking it off my hands ....and as repayment for their kind and selfless generousity, expect it to be delivered to their door - well rotted, bagged,and ...of course...free! :mad: