Given the choice, would you choose a natural, inexpensive fertilizer for your plants or a costly chemical fertilizer? Imagine if you could boost your crops’ ability to take up nutrients and water while improving the feel of sandy or clay soil? Does the concept of creating an environment where valuable soil microorganisms flourish appeal to you? When I told you a single product could do so for your backyard, you may be surprised. And you may be even more surprised to find out that the product is manure.
Farmers have known about the benefits of compost for centuries. Manure contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium along with many micronutrients, which makes it a fantastic, natural fertilizer, while the organic matter it contains aids enhance the soil’s structure. Manure fertilizes plants, improves soil and is easily available. Additionally, it is inexpensive, sustainable and organic. So instead of reaching for this expensive chemical fertilizer, catch a bag of compost instead.
Related: Get to a Composting Kick — Hello, Free Fertilizer!
Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting
How can manure operate? Manure is a great source of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) and micronutrients, that it slowly releases into the ground. In addition, it enhances the soil as microorganisms break down the organic matter found in it.
Apart from producing garden soil more fertile, manure improves the feel of soil by helping soil hold onto nutrients and water. It increases the water-holding ability of sandy soils and improves the drainage of clay soils.
Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting
While manure is a great resource for nitrogen, it requires a little while for the nitrogen to eventually become available to plants once the manure is first added to unimproved soil. As a result, you might want to add another form of nitrogen, such as blood meal or even a fish emulsion, for your initial one to two years. After three annual applications of manure, the degree of nitrogen might be enough to sustain plants without your needing to utilize any other nitrogen sources.
Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting
Fresh manure versus composted manure. Fresh manure has a distinctive odor and contains marijuana seeds and high nitrogen levels. It shouldn’t be applied directly to a backyard, because it is going to burn your crops.
Manure has to be composted (aged at least six months) until you can add it to a backyard. During the composting process, temperatures heat up to 150 degrees Fahrenheit, which eliminates pathogens and weed seeds. During this process the nitrogen in compost is transformed into a form that won’t burn plants.
Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting
Sources of manure. The most common varieties of manure for your garden are cows, horses, rabbits and cows. While all these types will benefit your backyard, there are a number of differences.
Cow manure is the most commonly used manure in the backyard. It has few marijuana seeds and is less likely to burn plants then other manures. Horse manure has slightly more nitrogen than cow manure but contains a higher amount of grass seeds, which can come up if the plant hasn’t been thoroughly composted. Chicken and rabbit manures have the highest levels of nitrogen and must be composted for at least six months so they don’t burn plants.Manure from dogs dogs and pigs isn’t suitable for using in the backyard because it contains dangerous pathogens.
Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting
The best way to use. You can find bags of composted manure at your regional nursery and use it to your soil right away.
How much manure if you add to your soil? A fantastic guideline would be to add 2 to 4 inches of compost for the very first time to unimproved soil, and until it to a thickness of 6 inches. Thereafter include 1 to 2 inches every year.
When you’ve got a source of fresh manure, you can until the manure into the soil in the fall (when no crops are present); let it overwinter and then plant in the spring. By then your manure wouldn’t longer be considered new, but it’ll be composted and secure to use.
Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting
Possible problems. Manures do contain additives, which can develop on your soil. Plants will struggle to grow in soils with high salt levels. If you live in an arid area, where soils tend to be high in salts, a soil test can ascertain whether your soil has high levels of additives. If the levels are over 3 (mmhos/cm) then it is better not to utilize compost on your backyard.
Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting
More: Why Your blossoms are Begging for Companion Plants