[Patti]

Okay, I will never know until I ask...

I am trying to plant an "all natural" garden. It's finally dry enough here to do major planting. We already had some things planted, but I need to get my tomatoes, cucumbers and a few other things planted.

Can someone please tell me how you go about using cow manure in a garden? Do you just goop a bunch on top of the garden and till it under? How much do you use?

:haha:

Could someone please help a young homesteader out?

 

[OUVickie]

I usually shovel up the dry manure into my wheelbarrow and use the end of the shovel or something similar to macerate it. Once it's more like dirt, I put it in the garden (tilled and weeded) and work it into the soil, turning it under, raking it and such. After that I make sure and water it in real well.
I don't put it on any thicker than about a 1/2 - 1 in. layer and I use my pitchfork to keep the ground around the plants loose.
When I'm going to plant a tree, I dig the hole and put the macerated manure (2-3 inches) in the bottom, fill with a little dirt, then put the tree in so the roots can be fed from the bottom by the manure. After I fill around the tree, I put another shallow layer of manure on top and work in with the rake and pitchfork - then water in well.
You should see my trees and plants, they are so healthy and loaded with fruits and veggies. I don't really have to manure more than once a year. Good stuff!

 

[Patti]

What about fresh manure? I heard lots of people use that????? Seems like it would be pretty messy.

 

[OUVickie]

What about fresh manure? I heard lots of people use that????? Seems like it would be pretty messy.

It's should be fine to use, but the mess factor is the reason I don't use it. We have 7 cows and a horse, so I always have plenty of the dried stuff. Or you could put it in a bucket and make manure tea, then pour around plants when you water.
You should be able to use the fresh just fine, but it might be a little bit harder to measure out the layering. You don't want to overdoo either, if you put too much on I've heard it can burn tender young plants.
It'll probably just be a little messier on all your tools, so, I guess you'd have to rinse your tools off real good with a hose.
You may get some more responses from others who use the fresh, or you could post this question over under the cow forum too and see what response you get.
Happy MOO Pooing!!!!

 

[CJ]

Well if you don't mind the work, you can make a frame out of 2'x4's and staple hardware cloth to it, then grate the dry cow pies into some incredible stuff for your garden, otherwise once dry it's kinda tough to break up.

 

[doc623]

Patti,
Most of the time used grass, I.E., cow poo is used in the prep of the garden plot
prior to planting.
However, since you have already started, I would recommend that you put the poo between the rows and till it in. The palnts oneither side will receive the benefit.
It may be messy, but a little soap and water afterward will remove the used grass reminants.

 

[MOgal]

Years ago a neighbor bought a used dump truck and brought me a load of dry, supposedly rotted, manure from an old barn. BIGGEST MISTAKE I EVER MADE IN THE GARDEN!!!! A cow's digestive tract is very inefficient and many of the weed seeds she eats pass right through her. The manure made a wonderful improvement in our dirt (it was too poor to be called soil) as the site had been stripped of its topsoil to shape the yard a little. However, within days of our first rain, we had a lush carpet of very noxious weeds including horse nettles and thistle. It took a lot of weeding and even more heavy applications of mulch to overcome the weeds each year if we wanted any veggies until we sold the place and moved away. I will never again put fresh or even "rotted" cow or horse manure on any planting area. HOT composting is the only way to go. Unless you like weeds.

If you absolutely need the fertility NOW, spread it lightly on the soil between plants and mulch like crazy. Compost it and find enough compost from another source to make compost tea for the plants in the meantime.

 

[mamajohnson]

Actually, the best way to use it, if you dont want any possiblity of the weed seed problem, is to make the manure tea out of it. Load a 5 gal. bucket half to 3/4 full of the poo, then fill with water, put on a lid and let steep.... dilute it a little to use it. Makes the plants very very happy! lol!
Also useful in it is nettles, and anything composted. Be careful if you put chickie-poo in it, that is really really high in nitrogen and can burn your plants.

You can also put it on the garden when you put to bed in the fall, then you just till in the next spring. lots of ways to do it.

Have fun.

 

[OUVickie]

Actually, the best way to use it, if you dont want any possiblity of the weed seed problem, is to make the manure tea out of it. Load a 5 gal. bucket half to 3/4 full of the poo, then fill with water, put on a lid and let steep.... dilute it a little to use it. Makes the plants very very happy! lol!
Also useful in it is nettles, and anything composted. Be careful if you put chickie-poo in it, that is really really high in nitrogen and can burn your plants.

I knew there was someone out there who'd have this recipe!

When we first moved to our place the people before us had goats and that has to be some of the MOST fertile stuff I've ever put around plants, plus it's easy to handle because it was conveniently expelled in little balls!