Manure Heap - Best Practice

[Mel Darke]

I'm just about to take advantage of our allotment's supply of free manure to make a heap. However I've never done one before and wonder if I need to put anything on the ground first and once covering it with black plastic, how long does it take to rot down?

[Monika]

Hello, Mel, we get a delivery of cow manure every spring (when the cows first go out to pasture), pile it up directly on the ground and cover it with black polythene.
It stays there until late autumn/winter when we spread it on the ground after digging, usually where the potatoes are going to grow the following year. Some we keep back until the following spring and use it underneath the runner beans, sweet peas and marrows. that then clears the space for the next lot of manure to arrive!
Hope that helps.

[Lurganspade]

If you have a compost heap, put some alternate rows of green stuff and manure, it helps to give it oomph!

Every one should try to have "at least" two, one rotting, whilst the other is being filled!