manure

Benefits of Manure:

It's the "black gold" of the gardening community. Manure does a number of things for your soil.

First, it contains a rich and wide range of nutrients and minerals. It provides abundant amounts of the key chemicals your plants need- Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. The second benefit of manure is that it adds to the composition of the soil. It contains both animal waste and straw (or sometimes sawdust). In addition to all of those valuable naturally sourced chemicals and nutrients, well-decomposed manure adds valuable compost that holds moisture and promotes easier, and healthier, root growth.

Tip: When dealing with manure, make sure that is it well-decomposed. Work it into the garden in the fall. And, never use fresh manure in the spring or summer.

The emphasis is on well-decomposed (or well rotted). Fresh manure is very "hot" and can damage your plants. This is because fresh manure is very high in nitrogen and burns plants.

Variety in manures

Manures vary due to the diet of each animal, especially between vegetarian and carnivores. Most of the manures that you will have regular access to are vegetarian. But even within this group, diets are different, and the digestion process functions different. Dietary changes, especially seasonal, also affect the final "finished product".

Types of manure

What kind of manures do gardeners use? The answer to this is what is available locally in your area.

• Cow- One of the two most popular manures, as it is available in large quantities. The disadvantage is it is a bit messier to handle.

• Horse- This is the second of the top two sources available to home gardeners. Again, the supply is usually readily available. It is mixed with straw or sawdust.

• Chicken- If you are near a chicken farm, this is good source of manure.

• Turkey- As with Chicken manure, if you live near a turkey farm,

• Sea Gull- In the humorous book "Pumpkins are Orange" by Jack Breckinridge, a pumpkin grower goes off in search of quantities of seagull manure on the theory that everything near the ocean grows big because of it. Who knows, he may be right!

• Rabbit- Some suggest that rabbit manure is absolutely the best they have used. Finding big quantities is the challenge.
• Bat Guano- Bat Guano (manure) is believed to be the absolute best of manures. Commercially, it commands the highest prices.

Sources:

The most common sources are farms or riding schools in your neighborhood. Check in your local directory. Always telephone in advance to confirm if there are any costs or conditions for collecting manure. And, when collecting be prepared.

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