Hi,
Can I put cow manure straight in my garden without composting it? I usually put rye down in the fall as a ground cover. I was thinking that I would put the cow manure in the garden this fall and till it in. But I'm not sure I could put down the rye after I did that. I know it would be better to compost the cow manure before I put it in the garden,but I don't have a compost set up and I'm not able to do all the heavy turning a compost pile would need.So that is why I thought I'd put the cow manure right in the garden and till it in.
Thanks for any advice anyone can give me.
that should be fine, you could try braking it up with something we have chickens and we did have geese pooping in are gardens and are plants got ten times there size hope this helped :)
Last edited by lilinater on Wed Oct 28, 2009 7:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- rainbowgardener
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If you till the manure in now and it can sit and break down over the winter, it should be fine to plant in by spring.
Otherwise, if you just make a pile of poop preferably layered with leaves and other "browns" (see Sticky in this Forum re greens & browns), you don't have to turn it, you can just let it sit and it will age itself nicely.
Otherwise, if you just make a pile of poop preferably layered with leaves and other "browns" (see Sticky in this Forum re greens & browns), you don't have to turn it, you can just let it sit and it will age itself nicely.
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I don't know if the rye would germinate so soon after fresh cow manure has been tilled in. I think it would be better if you can wait to sow the seed -- 2 weeks? 1 mo?
Maybe if you can till some fall leaves in along with the manure, it would balance/spread things out a bit more? I suppose on the other hand, the manure may provide some extra warmth to help with the germination?
You could always try sowing right after, but be prepared to seed again if they don't come up.
Maybe if you can till some fall leaves in along with the manure, it would balance/spread things out a bit more? I suppose on the other hand, the manure may provide some extra warmth to help with the germination?
You could always try sowing right after, but be prepared to seed again if they don't come up.
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