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EmailManure creates nutrient-rich, moisture-retaining soil for your plants.
The most common sources of manure are cows, horses, sheep, pigs, goats, and poultry.
(Other animal waste is generally not recommended as manure or fertilizer today.)
See our chart below for the best type of manure for your garden—and the best time to apply.
| Type of Garden | Best Type of Manure | Best Time to Apply |
|---|---|---|
| Flower | cow, horse | early spring |
| Vegetable | chicken, cow, horse | fall, spring |
| Potato or root crop | chicken, cow, horse | fall, spring |
|
Acid-loving plants (blueberries, azaleas, mountain laurel, rhododendrons) |
cow, horse | early fall or not at all |
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i have catipilars on my
i have catipilars on my mandavillas and i can't get rid of them. HELP
spray soapy water on them.
spray soapy water on them.
you can collect a catapillar
you can collect a catapillar and send it to your local Agriculture inspector or County Extension Office to get an ID and find out what to do about them.
I use the Black Cow and Black
I use the Black Cow and Black Hen. Are they
sufficient enough to throw around flowers and small tomatoes and peppers? I am 50 miles from Columbia SC.
Yes, they will be sufficient,
Yes, they will be sufficient, but note in the chart above that chicken manure is not recommended as a 'best manure' for flowers. Since you live in the South, remember that peppers are very heat sensitive, so water them adequately. Happy gardening!
Can you toss pine shavings in
Can you toss pine shavings in the garden along with the chicken manure?
Sure, you can! Just don't put
Sure, you can! Just don't put hot manure in your garden. Make sure it is aged, otherwise it will burn your plants. Another thing to remember is that chicken manure is very high in Nitrogen, so you may need to amend it accordingly with carbon supplements. Depending on the makeup, the shavings may take a while to decompose. Good luck!
Dear Almanac, I have heard
Dear Almanac,
I have heard that earthworm casts is good fertilizer. Can you give me more specifics on how to use it?
One way you can use earthworm
One way you can use earthworm casts is to top dress your soil with a 1/2-inch to 1-inch layer of earthworm casts. For potted plants, use about 1/3 casts to 2/3 potting soil.
You can also just place earthworm casts alongside your plants. This is helpful if your plants are in rows.
I hope this helps!
How long does chicken manure
How long does chicken manure need to 'age' before it can be used in the garden?
This question is answered a
This question is answered a couple times below.
I was wondering about Rabbit
I was wondering about Rabbit manure... People have told me that it is great, and doesn't have to be 'aged'... Is this true and how is it best used?
It's hard to say if this is
It's hard to say if this is true or not because adding any manure directly to your garden without aging can be problematic. All manures differ, so it's hard to give exact advice on how to best use it.
It is recommended though that rabbit manure be composted with plant material waste before being added to the soil. Composting the manure helps make the most use out of its nutritional potential.
I hope this helps!
I use it all the time....I
I use it all the time....I have rabbits & it doesn't burn like other manure. It's fine just the way it is.
Rabbit manure is great. I
Rabbit manure is great. I always spread it on in the late fall cause it is very rich (hot) let it set all winter so all the goodies drain out from the rain & snow. Dig in very well come earlier spring.
Hi Danielle. I have one
Hi Danielle.
I have one rabbit named Buggs. He has helped my gardining for years.Buggs lives in a 5x5 wire cage.
I have pine straw under his cage. When it is time for cleaning under the cage,my son will put all the waste in a bucket and I will share it with all my plants. So it is aged and mixed with a compost of sorts.
If your manure is hot, mix it 4to 1. (4 equal parts dirt, 1 equal part manure) Watch your plants for a week. If they wilt, mix in more dirt. The key is watching your plants.
I find with any manure it is wise to use to little in the beginning. It is easier to add more than to take away.
Hi ! I am a blueberry grower
Hi ! I am a blueberry grower and got some well aged sheep manure ( mixed with straw bedding). When is the best time of year and how to apply it to my bluberry field.Most of the bushes are 6 years old but also have some just planted. Thanks !
I have a couple of garbage
I have a couple of garbage cans full of pretty fresh goat manure. I was expecting it aged, but that is not the case. Any recommendations for aging it, or can it be directly dug into my vegetable gardens. What about using on roses?
Goat manure ages pretty
Goat manure ages pretty quickly if you increase the airflow. Dump it out of the garbage cans into piles. Keep in mind that the smaller the pile, the faster it will decompose. Goat manure is great for roses. Just don’t put it too close to the stem. Spread the manure so it lies about 6 inches from the base of the plant.
My neighbor pastured cows on
My neighbor pastured cows on the land next to me this last mid December to mid January. Is that aged enough to till into a new garden spot. We'll be planting next month. Also is there a good weed killer to put on the spot that we then can safely plant in a month?
Hi, Tim, Usually animal
Hi, Tim, Usually animal manure should be aged for at least 6 months. Many gardeners and farmers spread fresh manure in the fall and turn it into the top 6 inches of soil a month before spring planting.
We recommend using newspaper pages as mulch to smother weeds and help keep moisture in the soil.
Thank you for the
Thank you for the information.
I have use manure from
I have use manure from cows,horses,sheep and also had weeds from the pasture they were pastured in know matter how old the manure was. If you can find someone that raises rabbit use that manure. Make sure to spread it on in the late fall or winter.
How long does chicken manure
How long does chicken manure need to age? I've been adding it to my compost. Will that speed the aging process so I don't have to wait six months?
The conditions (temperature;
The conditions (temperature; ingredients, including “greens” and “browns”; size; moisture content; etc.) of everyone’s compost pile are even slightly different, so it is impossible to give an absolute answer to how long it takes any manure to be aged, or ready to use. Under optimal conditions, 45 to 60 days may be adequate for chicken poop, but even that is quite a spread of time in any growing season. However, it is a benchmark. You could try a portion after that period on a one plant or a small area of your garden and see how your plants react. And/or you could have two or three compost piles, with ingredients aging over different periods of time. And/or you could adjust your ingredients and observe the outcome on one or all of your piles. Perhaps the only sure thing to consider is that longer aging, in general, is better ... Good luck! Let us know how it goes.
chicken manure has to sit for
chicken manure has to sit for 1 year
The best place to find out
The best place to find out how to spread manure is through our government! ;)
All the packets say peas
All the packets say peas don't do well with too much nitrogen. What is the best % to use? The bag of sheep manure says it provides .05% nitrogen and the mushroom compost says 1.0%. I have not grown peas in this garden spot recently.
Peas “fix” nitrogen in the
Peas “fix” nitrogen in the soil; they do not need it. See http://www.almanac.com/plant/peas for more about this delicious vegetable.
My Zone 3/4 garden is brand
My Zone 3/4 garden is brand new and filled with good top soil. It is 32 ft by 8 ft, how much horse manure do I need to work into the soli? I plan on planting flowers and some vegetables, like hot peppers, will the horse manure work for these plants? Thank you for any info you can give me. Also, what is the best way to incorporate the manure into the soil? Thanks!
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