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  • From: Allan Balliett <aballiett AT frontiernet.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] High Tunnel Winter Growing
  • Date: Thu, 26 Nov 2009 01:10:49 -0500

The horse manure fired seedling incubator was a standard component of Steve Moore's passive solar greenhouse design back when he taught in and around York, PA

Essentially, in January of each year he would 'stack' a 3sided cinder block trough along some portion of the north wall of the greenhouse. The curved wall would get a layer of insulation board, the short sides were perpendicular to the rear wall. dimensions were usually 4x8 to accommodate a sheet of 3/4 ply as the lid. I think these containers were usually about 3 runs of blocks. You filled the container with horse manure and straw in January so that it w.b. cooking quite well by mid-February when you are ready to start working with brassica seedlings in the greenhouse (seedlings that get below 40 degrees in Feb/March are prone to produce plants that will bolt by June) Heat is controlled by using spacers under the seedling trays. There is a 3/4 plywood lid for the box. By April the horse manure would be out of heat and quite 'reduced' and absolutely perfect for planting cucumbers into. No spring mucking is ever required. (Yes, early on the ammonia (from horse urine) smell can be overwhelming but I do not know of this every causing 'harm.')

On manures and salts: it is my understanding that this is not a problem in biologically active beds and is only a problem in conventional agriculture. We haven't seen a salt build up in our house, which is in its 7th season. I'm wondering if you other biological growers have actually had salt build up problems or have simply been warned about them by conventional extension agents, etc?

-Allan in WV who wonders about these other guys writing from WV




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