Author Topic: Pigs and Veg Plot (Read 2564 times)

catriona · « **on:** October 05, 2011, 10:10:35 pm »

We are planning to use some pigs to dig over the area for our new veg patch for us. If we do, how soon could we plant veg there? Would we be best to leave it a year for the pig manure to rot down, or is it safe to plant straight away?

HappyHippy · « **Reply #1 on:** October 05, 2011, 11:49:08 pm »

I'd say if they're out in Autumn and the ground is dug over to make sure it's all well mixed, then by the time the following spring comes you should be fine to plant (cover the area with black plastic or something, cos the weeds will love the improved soil too)........but I've not actually had time to plant any vacant pig pens to don't know for sure

HTH
Karen

Fleecewife · « **Reply #2 on:** October 06, 2011, 12:16:12 am »

What we found when we let our Tamworths live in the veggie patch for a winter was that their trotters went down into the ground, all to the same depth and created a hard pan about 5"-6" down, which was very bad for drainage. So definitely dig it well over once you take them off, going deper than their trotters did. Other than that, as HH says - by spring it should be fine for planting, although not things like carrots which hate fresh manure.
Pigs love couch grass roots so they are particularly good at clearing that

Rosemary · « **Reply #3 on:** October 06, 2011, 09:54:07 am »

Quote from: Fleecewife on October 06, 2011, 12:16:12 am

Pigs love couch grass roots so they are particularly good at clearing that

Wish we'd put them in our new veg garden then - the couch is unbelievable.

Mel Rice · « **Reply #4 on:** October 06, 2011, 10:08:22 am »

When I find couch grass in my veg patch I feed it to the bunnies...they love it too.

Dan · « **Reply #5 on:** October 06, 2011, 10:16:39 am »

We did this with our pigs going off the ground in the autumn, and grew the following spring.

In retrospect I think we should have grown a deep-rooting green manure that year (something like Buckwheat), and started with veg the following year - like Fleecewife says you can get a pan developing, depending on the breed of pig, the soil type and the weather.

Blonde · « **Reply #6 on:** October 09, 2011, 03:39:27 pm »

Quote from: catriona on October 05, 2011, 10:10:35 pm

We are planning to use some pigs to dig over the area for our new veg patch for us. If we do, how soon could we plant veg there? Would we be best to leave it a year for the pig manure to rot down, or is it safe to plant straight away?

Pig manure in the vegie patch is wonderful. The vegies grow so much better and so much bigger and are so much sweeter. We heap our manure up for a year then use the fornt end loader to put it over the fence dig it is and then plant into it. WOW!!