Manure as Fertilizer?
Question:Hi,
I had a question about using cow manure as fertilizer. I have seen some slightly conflicting rules as to the use of manure. Specifically, does the manure need to be composted for the typical 2-3 months before being used?
Some sources have referred to using "fresh" manure. I thought there was a requirement for farms to have livestock separated from any food crop because of the worry about getting food contamination from the animals. Can you clarify?
Thanks
Answers:
Manure should be composted or tilled into the garden at the end of the growing season. When fresh, it can cause burning in plants. Cow manure is better than horse manure because the digestion is better. Horse manure can contain many weed seeds.
farmers spread fresh manure on the fields but it is mainly for crops that are fed back to the cows. manure is good for the ground. it gets plowed under and given a chance to do its work. it is also good for gardens, but it has to be plowed after spreading it. there are some=e farmers who cannot get on the fields in winter, so they dump it in a pile away from the barn. this manure will then age and is good for gardens also. i think even better . the manure that has been in a pile for awhile does not smell as bad as fresh manure. yuck
You can use it straight. I once dug a two foot deep hole and put in a bucket of horse manure. Filled in the hole and planted tomato plants around it. Biggest damn tomatos I ever had!!! Plants were 6ft tall!!!
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