Manure is not a fertilizer but a soil builder and works with the millions of live microorganisms to enrich the soil, which has been destroyed by abuse and neglect. Soil is not just a medium to hold the plants up. Aged manure as it decomposes becomes humus and Humus aids fertility by storing nitrogen. The bacterium in the soil converts nitrogen into ammonia and this essential nutrient is released to plant roots in the form of nitrates. Humus as decomposed manure together with the ears aid with drainage and absorbs and holds water so that plant roots have time to take it up.
Not all manures are created equal. Poultry manure contains about 2% nitrogen, one of the highest levels of all manures, but the odor of poultry manure is rather potent. So you may want to use horse manure which decomposes in about three months (much less time than cow manure) and which is about .5% nitrogen. Cow manure, which is .25 % nitrogen and from its fresh state takes about six to nine months to decompose.
If you have a pickup truck and a farm nearby that sells manure, you may want to ask the farmer if he or she has been using herbicides and pesticides on the fields; if so take the load of manure and put it in an inconspicuous place on your property for a year, during which time all chemicals will have leached out.
In the meantime use either bagged composted manure from the garden center or aged from the manure, as any manure is much preferable to no manure!
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Do you use composted manure on all plants, shrubs ,trees ,fruit trees and outdoor flowers? What do you mean by moderation?
I’ve heard that it’s good to dump used coffee grounds in your vegetable garden. Is this
true?
I used horse manure one year and had oats growing every where I put down the manure. I usally use aged cow manure but couldn’t get any that year. If horse manure is better than cow manure how do I avoid having oats everywhere?
Cow manure takes longer to age, about a year – after that time chemicals will have leached out and the manure will not burn the roots of the plants. Horse manure ages in about four months; unfortunately with any of the manures, they have some weed seeds which need to be pulled by hand. No chemicals please. The rewards and thanks your soil will provide will make the effort worthwhile. - The English Lady
Sue, Coffee grinds are a source of nitrogen, but are acid forming so they are best used in the compost pile with some lime to take away some of the acidity. Maureen
Mary, if you are talking about manure. A minimum of an ½ inch in depth on your garden and vegetable garden as well. Maureen
Mary, A minimum of an ½ inch depth of manure in your garden and vegetable garden as well. Maureen
I purchased a new plant called creeping bellflower with intent of planting this weekend. A did a little web search on it and there’s ALOT of information about this plant being an extremely invasive weed that you cannot get rid of. Most of this info seemed to pertain to the west, am I in danger of creating a monster if I plant this in my flower bed here in CT?
Jen, Definitely avoid the creeping bellflower also known as campanula rapunculoides or rover bellflower - which is extremely invasive and impossible to control once it gains a foothold. Yes, you would be creating a monster. Maureen
I have listened to your broadcast on the radio a couple of times now and i must say YOU ARE AWESOME! I have lived here and in ky. I love gardening! Pretty good but nothing like you. I dont know how to test soil and my hydrangeas i planted two years ago, with 10 10 10 AND some manure from store, well NO FLOWERS last year and not much growth. Any suggestions?
ALSO i have wicked grape vines i cant kill. they killed neighbors peach tree and now that i have them cut out of plum tree. I have done everything short of burning them.
i bought house with grape vines all down the fence. overgrown. Every year we cut them, but no fruit ever. So bad that they made it up the oak tree over my plum tree. WOW someone let them grow wild. Suggestions on vines and of course my poor plum tree. It flowers but i only seen two tiny plums last year that never finished, either squirrels got them or they fell off tree.
Oh one more thing, i have a nice washington apple tree that produces huge apples, first year was awesome, since not perfect but lots of fruit. What do i spray it with or suggestions? Not wealthy and all this, believe it or not i live in NEW BRITAIN, WOW. Go figure., horrid soil in certain areas and my garden, raised bed, use 10 1o 10 yearly produces wondeful vegetables. Now i will cover the area of blighted tomatoes from all that rain last year and thanks
Faye, Buy a soil test kit from the garden center. Do not prune the hydrangeas and do not use any chemical fertilizers. Check ‘what to use in the garden’ on the website for all organic fertilizers etc. Also for complete hydrangea care - type in the search box on the home page ‘hydrangeas’ and you will find an article on this lovely plant. You will need to continue to cut the grape vines to keep them under control. Manure is the only thing you need to use on the garden, for good healthy growth - please do not use any chemicals - its the same as breathing in second hand smoke. Heal the planet, one garden at a time. The fruit trees can be sprayed with a seaweed spray, also found under ‘what to use in the garden’. Good luck Maureen
the english lady
how do I take care of mountain laurel plants in ct. I have one on my north/west side of my house and it looks like its getting woody. The plant does not look very healthy. Can I cut it back and if so when. How do I prune it. It flowers once and then it looks sickly. Sue
Sue, only prune off the dead flowers and any dead branches. This plant is a tree shrub and as it grows the bottom part will show as trunk and it will grow to about ten feet. Put manure, peat and a fine bark mulch around the base. Maureen
Hi Maureen, I’ve been reading your Friday photo posts eagerly since meeting you in Essex this past June on a container garden tour. I just love reading your garden tips and looking at the lush and beautiful garden photos. I am a beginning gardener and have so much to learn. Next spring I will definitely use lots of composted manure. I read in another post that one half inch goes on the flower and vegetable gardens. How much should I put on rose bushes and hydrangeas? Do I just pile it around the base of the plant or do I have to dig it in? lastly, if I have put mulch down on garden beds and around plants, do I have to remove it before I put down the manure? Thanks for all your help and wonderful advice, Linda
Linda, nice meeting you also. Put at least one to two inches on all planted beds whether vegetable garden, flower garden or shrub border. Put the manure on top of the mulch, moisture will make sure it seeps through and put on the garden, now and again in late October, so that it can work through the winter to produce a rich well built soil. Maureen