To manure or not
Should I put manuer in my garden and till in for winter or not and does it matter if it is cow or horse, I have acess to both just not sure I am new to vegetable gardening as of this year
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opabinia51
- Super Green Thumb
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- Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 5:58 pm
- Location: Victoria, BC
Yes, putting manure into the garden now is a great way to add nutrients and vitality to the soil. You don't need to till though.
Tilling actually causes a lot more problems than it solves.
Actualy, I wold recomend that you first lay down a layer of deciduous leaves (if you have maples, it is best to run over them with the lawn mower first) then put the manure over the top of the leaves and just leave it until spring.
(I actually plant Rye and usually a legume of some sort (vetch works well, so does clover) over the manure. Mow the Rye in the spring a few times them turn it into the soil. Works great)
Tilling actually causes a lot more problems than it solves.
Actualy, I wold recomend that you first lay down a layer of deciduous leaves (if you have maples, it is best to run over them with the lawn mower first) then put the manure over the top of the leaves and just leave it until spring.
(I actually plant Rye and usually a legume of some sort (vetch works well, so does clover) over the manure. Mow the Rye in the spring a few times them turn it into the soil. Works great)
Well Cow maure is better then horse and well rotted manure is far better then fresh.
Not sure what problems with tilling opabinia51 is refering to main one that comes to mind is bringing rocks and weeds back to the surface .
If it was me I would skip the leafs (they might not rot down enoughf by spring then become a place for mold and other problems)
I would lay on the cow manure then either till it in now or in spring (dryer to do it now) then you are off to the races !
Not tilling it in might cause to much of a nitrogen boost to some plants (planting them directly in the un tilled manure )
direct manure planting would affect radish and tomatoes badly
but would help lettuce and most vine crops
So all depends on what ya are going to plant
Not sure what problems with tilling opabinia51 is refering to main one that comes to mind is bringing rocks and weeds back to the surface .
If it was me I would skip the leafs (they might not rot down enoughf by spring then become a place for mold and other problems)
I would lay on the cow manure then either till it in now or in spring (dryer to do it now) then you are off to the races !
Not tilling it in might cause to much of a nitrogen boost to some plants (planting them directly in the un tilled manure )
direct manure planting would affect radish and tomatoes badly
but would help lettuce and most vine crops
So all depends on what ya are going to plant
Cerwin, I'm not sure what you mean when you say,
https://www.gardening.cornell.edu/factsheets/ecogardening/guidenutval.html
More manure info.
https://www.plantea.com/manure.htm
Guide to composting horse manure:
https://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/horsecompost4.htm
Adding shredded leaves to the soil to decompose over the winter is a good thing. As to the question of tilling or not to till, this site explains alot about what tilling does to soil structure and organic material.
https://www.farm-garden.com/cornucopia/introduction_to_no-till_gardening
Newt
I suppose what nutrients you want to add to the garden would determine which manure you would want to use if that is a concern for you . Manure should always be well rotted. This guide about manure content should be helpful....Cow maure is better then horse...
https://www.gardening.cornell.edu/factsheets/ecogardening/guidenutval.html
More manure info.
https://www.plantea.com/manure.htm
Guide to composting horse manure:
https://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/horsecompost4.htm
Adding shredded leaves to the soil to decompose over the winter is a good thing. As to the question of tilling or not to till, this site explains alot about what tilling does to soil structure and organic material.
https://www.farm-garden.com/cornucopia/introduction_to_no-till_gardening
Newt
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opabinia51
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 4659
- Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 5:58 pm
- Location: Victoria, BC
The wood that sometimes accompanies horse manure is very slow to break down, I agree with you on that point. But, it is not harmful to plants. The only way that the wood that is sometimes associated with horse manure could be harmful to the plants would be that Nitrogen would be tied up while the wood is decomposed.
However, in the long run; the wood that sometimes accompanies horse manure does add structure (in the form of lignins and cellulose) to the soil as these substances break down much slower than carbohydrates that are usually associated with manures.
Horse manure itself is on par with the nutrient loads of cow manure. One problem with cow manure is that consistant application of cow manure results in the accumulation of salts in the soil.
The big problem with horse manure is that it usually contains seeds which are not digested in the horse gut as horses are not ruminants like cows are.
However, in the long run; the wood that sometimes accompanies horse manure does add structure (in the form of lignins and cellulose) to the soil as these substances break down much slower than carbohydrates that are usually associated with manures.
Horse manure itself is on par with the nutrient loads of cow manure. One problem with cow manure is that consistant application of cow manure results in the accumulation of salts in the soil.
The big problem with horse manure is that it usually contains seeds which are not digested in the horse gut as horses are not ruminants like cows are.