Page 47 - ALG Issue 2 2019
P. 47

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Muck
One of the most controversial topics among allotment holders is that of manure or ‘muck’ as it is still called in select circles. Undeniably, the soil does need manure. Many avenues have been explored in efforts to do away with it.
For example, Jethro Tull (1674-1741), best known for his invention of a
seed drill, believed that deep, regular hoeing would render the application
of manure unnecessary. In the long term, he was proved wrong. Despite his best efforts, without the application of manure, the soil eventually became exhausted. My own tenancy agreement stipulates that tenants must keep their plots ‘well manured’ – a proviso which has its origins in bygone days when, every autumn, it was customary to smother land with dung – a practice which horrified Tull, who devoted
an entire chapter of his book The New Horse Hoeing Husbandry to
the subject. He remarks on the ‘ill taste’ it gives to roots and plants and equates its use to people ‘eating their own and their beasts’ ordure’. (Yes, our ancestors did use human waste products as manure! In fact, we still do. On my own site, the town council has installed a composting toilet - although, despite assurances that it
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is a valuable asset, I’m afraid I don’t really fancy it.)
Tull does have a point, because dung carries a wide variety of bacteria, viruses and parasites. And good quality dung isn’t always easy to come by. Despite the camaraderie which exists among allotment holders, when it comes to identifying the source of
their deliveries of muck, gardeners remain notoriously secretive. Bagged manure from garden centres and supermarkets is not immune from the bacteria problem, and the purchase of manure in bags is also an expensive business but, for those of us operating a raised beds system, it is the most practical proposition. I usually buy half a dozen bags for limited use every autumn. However, I do make use of alternatives. For instance, I always have a substantial compost heap on the go. Many people believe that compost is more nutritious than manure as a soil additive. The trouble is, considering
the mountain of stuff I throw onto the pile, the end-product never seems to go very far. Another possibility is ‘green manure’ - the thinking man’s muck. Occasionally, during the summer, I sow two or three raised beds with mustard or clover and then dig it in the following spring. On the upside, this gives me an
Yes, our ancestors did use human waste products as manure! In fact, we still do.
opportunity to sound knowledgeable by talking about the ‘nitrogen fixing’ potential of green manures. On the downside, it does tie up the beds for part of two growing seasons.
AsIgetolder,Ifindthereisalotto
be said for buying manure in pelleted form. Spreading the pellets on the ground and raking them in a few weeks before sowing and planting couldn’t be easier. I supplement this with applications of liquid feed to established crops later in the season. Having said this, one of the best methods of ensuring that our soil remains healthy is to do nothing at all. Thus, every year, I leave a portion of my allotment fallow, thereby giving the soil an opportunity to recover its strength. My neighbours invariably take a dim view of this practice, advising me that as I am not continuously cultivating every square centimetre, I should consider taking a smaller plot.
The overall lesson here is that there are many ways of ensuring that essential nutrients are returned to the soil – and I have found that a rotational mix-and-match approach is as good a method as any.
David Clark
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   ALLOTMENT
 & LEISURE GARDENER • Issue22018
   ALLOTMENT
ALLOTMENT
 & LEISURE GARDENER • Issue12018
   Inside: Insurance Q&A – p8 Allotment Shed of the Year Competition – p27
 & LEISURE GARDENER • Issue32018
Inside: New member benefit - no additional fees – p7 Crop rotation for beginners – p20 • On the Kings plot – p28
   ALLOTMENT
 & LEISURE GARDENER • Issue42018
   Inside: AGM Report – p40 Ecological Gardening – p8 • #NODIG – p15
 The winners are:
David Graney of Eaton Ave Allotments, Bletchley
for “Problem Solving on the Plot” ALG 1 2019
Ron Heath of Bristol East Allotments for
“Beast from the East to Best of the West” ALG 4 2018
 Inside: Allotment Shed of theYear results – p12 Planning Watch – p14 • Gardening from a wheelchair – p32
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