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A garden is only as good as the ground that it's planted in. Discussion forum for the many ways to improve the soil where we plant our gardens.

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Old March 8, 2018   #16
volare71
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Cool Composted Horse and Chicken manure

I have had good luck composting horse and chicken droppings together. The horse apples are first shredded in the shredder/chipper and the piles heated to 140deg. f.
In the dry southwest the piles need to be watered with every turning and once they heat up the weed seeds are not a problem.
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Old March 11, 2018   #17
Spartanburg123
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mischka View Post
Poultry manure is too hot to use straight from the pen. It is too "hot" (high nitrogen) and must be aged a full season, at minimum. (I raise geese, peafowl and guinea fowl)

Horse manure is too full of weed seeds, IMHO. It also should be aged a season and the pile frequently turned, to kill any sprouting weeds. There will be many.

Cow is superior to horse manure and can be tilled directly into the garden, as loong as you don't go more than 50/50 with it

The finest manure of all is the highly valued rabbit type. It can also be tilled right into the soil or even used as top-dressing, if you rake it in slightly. I would get as much as you can lay your hands on and enjoy a lush garden!
I second the rabbit poo! Last spring, I tilled it into the South Carolina red clay along with some peat moss, and I had the most lush and productive plants. Although fruit yield was also high, I felt like I had too much vegetative growth, and some of my 10+ foot plants collapsed from the weight. I wouldn't go too heavy on it, it is slow to decompose and lasts the whole summer.
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Old March 12, 2018   #18
garyjr
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mischka View Post
Poultry manure is too hot to use straight from the pen. It is too "hot" (high nitrogen) and must be aged a full season, at minimum. (I raise geese, peafowl and guinea fowl)

Horse manure is too full of weed seeds, IMHO. It also should be aged a season and the pile frequently turned, to kill any sprouting weeds. There will be many.

Cow is superior to horse manure and can be tilled directly into the garden, as loong as you don't go more than 50/50 with it

The finest manure of all is the highly valued rabbit type. It can also be tilled right into the soil or even used as top-dressing, if you rake it in slightly. I would get as much as you can lay your hands on and enjoy a lush garden!
Good advice. I personally loaded a trailer full of horse manure that I know had been aging for well over a year and still had a terrible problem with weeds. Switching to rabbit poo this season.
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Old March 12, 2018   #19
dustdevil
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I wouldn't mess around with any manure that can carry ecoli...especially humanure!
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