Manure is a natural and valuable fertilizer. However, it cannot be used without following certain rules outlined in this article.
Despite the variety of artificial fertilizers, nothing can replace organic fertilizer in the garden, as it is greener, healthier and safer for plants and the environment. Although organic fertilizer works more slowly than mineral fertilizer, it does not harm the plants and does not contribute to soil pollution.
What is manure and how does this fertilizer work
There are several types of natural fertilizers in nature, but manure is the most valuable and powerful of them. It is formed from fermented animal feces, mixed with plant waste, and contains various minerals (including phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium), many trace elements (copper, zinc, boron, sodium) and other valuable substances (for example, humus), without which the plants couldn’t get by.
Manure, in addition, significantly improves the quality of the soil, increases its absorption and thermal properties (the soil becomes wetter and heats up faster) and contributes to the formation of humus.
What you need to know about fresh manure
Unfortunately, fresh manure is not suitable for fertilizing plants, as it is too concentrated and can harm them. In addition, it can also vary significantly in composition depending on which animals it comes from (for example, from cattle, horses or pigs) and the amount of garbage it contains, which makes it difficult to determine the concentration of elements (mainly nitrogen ) contained in it. You can also apply zeolite saturated with manure to the soil , this is a complex fertilizer of long-term action.
How often and when to fertilize with fresh manure
Fresh manure is used no more than once every 3-4 years during the autumn digging of the soil (it should have time to disintegrate by the spring). It is used in areas dedicated to growing vegetables with high nutritional requirements, such as cabbage and cucumbers. It should also be remembered that some vegetables do not like fresh manure, so after fertilization they can only be grown after 2-3 years (including root crops).
Dried manure is better than fresh manure for the garden
On household plots, it is more practical to use rotted dry manure (crushed or granular), which retains all the properties of fresh manure, but does not have an unpleasant odor and is safer for plants. The ingredients in it are not as concentrated as in fresh manure, so they do not threaten plant damage.
Dried manure is also easier to use – it is suitable for all plants and can be used at any time, since it does not require adherence to the rules of cultivation in a certain year after fertilization. Such manure is also more convenient to store (usually in special foil packaging). In addition, it does not contain eggs and larvae of parasites, as well as weed seeds, which, however, is always worth checking by reading the information on the package.
Dried manure: crushed or granulated
A less convenient type of dried manure is crushed dried manure, which comes in the form of dust, which makes dosing difficult and requires respiratory protection (it can heavily contaminate them). Dried pellets are much more convenient because they contain lumpy and easy-to-use pellets.
How and when to fertilize with dry manure
Dusty and granular dried manure can be applied every year and in autumn and spring, and, if necessary, during the growing season at the concentrations indicated by the manufacturer. After its application, the substrate should be watered abundantly, because only then will the nutrients contained in the manure be activated.
However, no matter what type of manure we use, we must remember that as soon as it spreads over the soil surface, it must mix with the ground, otherwise the mineral compounds will begin to oxidize and the loss of nutrients will be significant.
Restrictions on the use of fresh manure
If you are going to apply fresh manure on your site, you should be aware of some restrictions provided in the legislation governing farming, and which, among other things, prohibit the use of manure on flooded, deeply frozen soils covered with snow and during heavy rainfall. Also, do not use it near drinking water or bathing areas, or for fertilizing vegetables with a short growing season for direct consumption.
