chicken manure question

SEAMSFASTER · February 20, 2012

Years ago I lived in the deep south and tried to garden in very sandy soil. After my first year of almost complete failure, I took the advice of other growers. I tilled in about 3" of VERY fresh, VERY hot, VERY stinky (enough ammonia to knock you out if you breathed deeply), straight chicken manure (almost no wood shaving or bedding debris of any kind).

I planted in that soil two weeks later and was amazed at the huge difference it made. I harvested 5-10 times as much per garden area that year. Yes, I burned and killed a few plants, maybe 2% of the total.

I certainly wouldn't do that in the heavy clay soil where I live now, but it sure did the trick in that virtually sterile sandy soil! Besides, none of the poultry farmers will sell fresh manure around here. Liability and health issues...

February 20, 2012	#16
SEAMSFASTER Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: American Fork, Utah Posts: 160	Years ago I lived in the deep south and tried to garden in very sandy soil. After my first year of almost complete failure, I took the advice of other growers. I tilled in about 3" of VERY fresh, VERY hot, VERY stinky (enough ammonia to knock you out if you breathed deeply), straight chicken manure (almost no wood shaving or bedding debris of any kind). I planted in that soil two weeks later and was amazed at the huge difference it made. I harvested 5-10 times as much per garden area that year. Yes, I burned and killed a few plants, maybe 2% of the total. I certainly wouldn't do that in the heavy clay soil where I live now, but it sure did the trick in that virtually sterile sandy soil! Besides, none of the poultry farmers will sell fresh manure around here. Liability and health issues...